Bats and Spiders
by Anti-Atom
Summary: While still bonded to the symbiote, 16-year-old Peter Parker finds himself attending a strange school with even stranger students. With his life being rapidly turned upside down by Yōkai Academy, how will the black suited Spider-Man deal with this wild new world of monsters?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE:** _The summary itself should have clued you in, but I want to make sure this is obvious for everyone. This story's Peter Parker will act just a little bit differently from the 'default' Spider-Man we're all used to. This was done to match his age and attachment to the symbiote. I have a more detailed explanation, but instead of forcing you all to read it now, I put it at the bottom of this chapter so that you only have to look through it if you finish the chapter and decide that this story is worth your time. Next, this story was inspired by_ _FrivolousThoughts' Moka Akashiya chapter, so credit and a huge thanks goes to that author._ _Finally, Peter will start out a little more serious than usual, due to the nature of a monster school that executes humans, but will slip back into his cheerful attitude as he gets more comfortable._

 **DID YOU READ THAT NOTICE?! Good. Proceed.**

 **-Chapter 1: A Spider and a Vampire-**

I stepped off the bus, greedily sucking in the fresh air. The old fashioned school bus I had come in wasn't the most pleasant place to be in, and the stuffy air within the vehicle had made breathing something of a chore. Needless to say, the cool morning breeze satisfied my lungs.

"Watch your back out there, kid," said a voice behind me. I turned to face what was probably the single most disturbing bus driver I had ever had the displeasure of meeting. "Yōkai Academy is a—"

"A scary school, yes," I interrupted. "I heard you the first time." The bus driver paused and gave me a blank stare. Several seconds passed, and when he didn't stop staring, I opened my mouth to speak, only to have the bus doors abruptly slam in my face and for the yellow automobile to drive off with a loud squeal that signified tires rubbing against the road.

I stood still for a moment as the bus drove off with my mouth still slightly ajar before turning to look at the back of the yellow eyesore.

"Yeah, okay, it's that kind of attitude that leaves your bus empty!" I shouted after the retreating vehicle in question. It drove right back into the tunnel that had brought me here without noticing my shouting, leaving me on my own once more.

 _Better than dealing with tall, dark, and creepy over there._

I turned around and found myself face-to-face with what seemed to be a scarecrow of sorts. A grinning pumpkin head sat on its shoulders and crooked arms reached out as if it were looking for a hug. I wasn't exactly versed in Japanese culture, but I was pretty sure Halloween didn't come anytime soon. I had begun to read the sign that the worn out scarecrow stood on, but found my attention being quickly drawn to the large body of water behind said scarecrow.

"Huh…a red ocean," I muttered. "That's a new one."

It could have been pollution or some sort of light reflection phenomenon. Regardless, this ocean—or whatever it was—put the Red Sea to shame.

"Nice theme they've got going here. Creepy bus drivers, broken scarecrows with pumpkin heads, and now a red ocean. All that's missing is a creepy church." I shook my head and turned around, only to freeze when, lo and behold, a creepy church standing in the distance filled my vision.

Wait, hold on…

"Shoot, is that the _school_?! Good grief, did Count Dracula build this place or something? Did an elderly woman seriously look at this and say 'this looks like a wonderful place to send my teenage nephew'?!"

I exhaled loudly, attempting to understand the situation that I had found myself thrust into. "Thank you, dear Aunt May," I muttered. "I'll be sure to pose in front of a gargoyle statue, take a photo, and send you a postcard that says 'greetings from the Twilight Zone' or something."

My school uniform momentarily shimmered and wriggled as though it was responding to the strange circumstances I had found myself in.

"Easy there," I whispered to my symbiote partner. "Don't want anybody seeing you just yet. Or ever, for that manner. Aunt May would have a fit if she knew I wore an alien to school. And the media would be all over me. And the Japanese might accuse America of sending mutant invaders into their borders."

To be fair, most people didn't even know my suit was an alien. They just assumed that whatever strange powers it had were the work of Spider-Man. Or 'Spider-Menace', as some of my adoring fans called me. Especially J. Jonah Jameson, he took great pride in the nickname he had come up for me.

Nicknames aside, this school was still throwing up warning flags left and right. Castle Dracu—err, 'Yōkai Academy', stood proudly in the distance, daring me to approach and set foot within its halls. I shook my head as I readjusted my backpack and began my slow walk towards the school.

"Get it together, Parker. You're Spider-Man—you shoot webs out of your wrists and punch people while taking selfies for a living. This place has got nothing on you." Right, everything would be fine. The only thing that stood between me and my new school was a giant forest of death and general unhappiness. The real concern would be getting lost. However, Yōkai's dark silhouette stood out, even from the forest and as the trees began blocking the sky as I walked into the forest, I made sure to keep an eye on the Gothic structure in the distance. After several minutes of walking, I came into a clearing illuminated by the sun's yellow light.

'Clearing', however, was a subjective term. The place was littered with gravestones and crosses jutting out of the ground.

"Okay, _no_ ," I growled. "There's a school just around the corner, and somebody's dumping the recently deceased outside the playground. Seriously though, who designed this place?! And how high were they when they did it?!"

My alien partner shivered again, and I felt its emotions being projected into my mind.

Unease.

As suspected, the symbiote's emotions mirrored my own. The graveyard, the blood-red ocean, the scarecrow, and Chuckles the Bus-Clown all pointed to this being anything but an ordinary school.

 _What do you think, symbiote? What's our next move?_

The answer I received was a burst of hesitation from the symbiote's mind. My partner was as lost as I was, so the question still stood: how would I proceed? I could…I could…what the heck was that sound?

A strange squeaking noise had begun ringing through the area, interrupting the eerie silence that had settled over the symbiote and I. Hesitantly, I began walking away, aiming myself towards the school that had quickly become the source of today's problems.

The noise, however, refused to stop. In fact, it increased in volume. Something was following me.

Anticipation.

The symbiote's mind projected its thoughts to me, and I could practically feel it coiling and uncoiling as it prepared to fight whatever threat was coming to meet me.

 _Easy, this might not be a threat. Spider-sense hasn't—_

And there went the spider-sense.

My sixth sense begin tingling violently, alerting me to a rapidly approaching danger. Trusting the basic, yet supernatural, instinct, I stepped back, narrowly avoiding the wheel of what I quickly recognized as a bicycle. A flash of pink passed through my line of sight, and without thinking, I shot a short web line into the back of the bike's rider.

 _Thank you, symbiote, for this wonderful gift of natural webbing. I owe you one buddy._

The girl—for I could see her clearly now—was yanked off the bike, grunting slightly as her transport of choice went careening into a nearby tree while she was jerked back into my arms. I looked down at the top of her head as she attempted to figure out what was happening. "Hey, you alright?" I asked in Japanese while gently lifting her to her feet. She was visibly disoriented, but she managed to stand, albeit a little unsteadily. She turned to me and brushed a strand of pink hair out of her eyes, revealing a slightly flushed, yet pale face.

"I-I'm alright," she finally breathed out. "I'm really sorry about that, did I hurt you?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine. What happened back there though?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. I just…I just got very dizzy all of a sudden."

I raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, you saw the school, and the overwhelming realization that you'd be spending the next year here was too much for you to handle?"

The girl blinked in confusion before her lips curled upwards in a faint smile. The smile quickly grew when she looked down at my uniform. "Oh! Are you a student at Yōkai Academy?"

I nodded. "As a matter of fact, I am. I assume you are as well?"

Biker girl nodded excitedly before she moved to stand. However, she paused halfway through as her eyelids began sinking. "Oh," she breathed. "That…that _scent_."

What?

"Uh, hello? Miss, are you okay?"

"I can't…I shouldn't…"

Alright, this was getting stranger by the second. Symbiote? Your thoughts?

A sense of incredible distrust towards the girl filled me. Clearly, the symbiote wasn't her biggest fan. "But you smell…divine," she whispered, her half-lidded eyes glazing over.

I gave her a blank stare as I inched backwards in response to Miss Imma Run You Over's advance. The entire situation managed to _somehow_ become even more outrageous as the girl in question opened her mouth ever so slightly, revealing elongated canines.

Wait.

"But…I'm sorry! You smell amazing, I need this!" And just like that, she reached forwards, setting my spider-sense ablaze as she aimed her fangs at my neck. With both the symbiote and my spider-sense screaming at me to move in their own ways, I jerked back, watching as the pink-haired creep's jaws clamped shut around empty air. Her eyes shot open when she realized her would-be victim was no longer within spitting distance.

Anger. The symbiote was extremely unhappy with this girl right now.

Her eyes locked on me again and she pounced, only to miss me once more as I leapt out of her way for the second time. She landed on all fours, whirling to face me with an outstretched hand and an open mouth. "Wait!" she cried.

"Is this a friendship ritual?" I shouted as she moved to grab me again. "We shake hands where I'm from! Do you wanna try that instead? Seems more sanitary than biting each other!"

My words fell on deaf ears and I could tell by the way she kept looking at me. Her green eyes showed a deep hunger and I could literally see _drool_ rolling down her chin as she stared at me, mouth agape and eyes wide. Once more, she charged, and I found myself surprised at her speed. She was far faster than anybody her age—which seemed to be close to mine—should be.

My pale adversary pounced at me once more. Instead of leaping out of the way, however, I planted a hand on her shoulder and vaulted over her, landing on one of the several gravestones jutting out of the ground and watching as the girl fell awkwardly on her stomach. "Look Jaws, I've been pretty nice so far, but keep this up, and I'm going to start fighting back. Now let's just calm down and—"

The familiar tingling at the base of my skull went off again, warning me of the danger, despite the fact that it was in plain sight. She was already jumping up to grab me before I had even finished my sentence. With a heavy sigh, I planted both hands on the gravestone I had been balancing on, lifting myself up and slamming both feet into the girl's face. I wasn't enjoying this, but I had to stop her before either of us got seriously hurt.

She fell to the ground with a yelp of pain, but before she could get up, thin white strings of webbing were already shooting out of my wrists, courtesy of the alien life form I called a partner. In a split second, I was looking down at the bound body of my opponent, lying helpless in the dirt as the webbing pinned her arms and legs to the ground. A final blast of webbing plastered itself to her face, covering the mouth that housed those worryingly long canines of hers.

I hopped down to the ground, looking down at the unnamed girl with a frown. "Sorry about that, but either you're not thinking straight, or you are and you're willingly trying to bite me. Either way, you need to be restrained for the moment."

Her green eyes stared up at me, the hunger slowly fading and being replaced by worry and panic. I kneeled next to her and bent over her head, making eye contact with her. "Now, I'm not going to hurt you, but I can't let you run free until we sort this out. So, we can go about this likes adults or like animals. I'd prefer the former, seeing as it involves a little less biting and—hey, stop trying to break free. I don't want to hurt you again, so just stay put for a second, okay?"

The struggling girl calmed down, her chest heaving as she panted. "I'm going to ask a few questions. Honest answers will help us make progress, and maybe I won't be late to class." The girl nodded. "Alright, I'm going to remove the webbing over your mouth, but I need you to promise me that you won't scream and that you won't bite, can you do that? Can you promise me that?"

She nodded eagerly and I took a breath, slowly reaching out with my hand. As I made contact with the webbing covering the lower portion of her face, the symbiote reabsorbed the adhesive substance back into itself, leaving no trace of its existence.

Just another reason why I loved having my partner around.

The girl gasped, taking in the fresh air and revealing her fangs to me once more. It was for less than a second, but I got a fairly close look at them. Suspicion—my own suspicion—welled up within me, but I wasn't ignorant to the symbiote's agitation by this girl's actions.

"You're not human, are you?" I asked slowly.

My attempts at communication were rewarded with a confused stare. "Human? Of course not, why would a human be here?"

What.

"I'm really sorry about that!" she quickly added. "All that wasn't the usual me, I swear! It was basic instincts! You see, I'm a…a vampire." Whatever she said, I paid very little attention to it. I was too busy trying to process the last bit of information that the green-eyed girl had relayed to me. This girl had just admitted that she wasn't human, and not only that, she had been genuinely surprised when I suggested that I had assumed that she was human at first.

This was bad. If humans weren't common around here, where on Earth were we?

"Um, excuse me?" came a soft voice from below me, drawing my attention back to reality. "How long are you going to keep me here?"

Previous thoughts were pushed out of my head as the question really settled in. "Until I know for sure you're not a threat to anybody. You already know about Yōkai Academy, so I think you can guess why I'm hesitant to let you into a school full of teenagers."

Again, I was met with a confused stare. "Uh, no? I don't know actually. What's wrong with me going to Yōkai?"

"Might have something to do with your little episode roughly twenty seconds ago," I muttered.

Her face visibly flushed until it was of similar color to her hair. "I told you!" she cried. "That wasn't on purpose! It was an accident!"

"Right," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Don't you just hate it when you accidentally try to sink your fangs into someone's neck? I keep mistaking people's jugular veins for sausages."

"It's not funny!" she shouted. "I wasn't trying to hurt you, honest!"

"Forgive my skepticism," I muttered. "I've had bad experiences with..." I paused. "...with vampires...Hold on, you said you were a vampire?"

She responded with a slow nod. "As in the blood-sucking night stalkers?"

The nod that followed was even more timid than the last one. I shut my eyes. Great. Another vampire.

The symbiote's annoyance was not lost on me as it glared down at the vampire. "How are you walking around during the day?" I demanded. "Have your kind finally found a way to survive the sun?"

The pink-haired pain-in-the-neck blinked in confusion as she stared up at me. "The sunlight? Oh that's just an old stereotype. We vampires aren't actually afraid of the sun. It's a little bright, sure, but it's not dangerous or anything."

Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?

"Not afraid of the sun? Then how come the last couple vampires I met hated the sunlight? Why were _they_ afraid of it? Why did it weaken them?"

The stream of questions left the vampire below me in stunned silence. She stared up at me, her eyes wandering across my face for several seconds before she slowly shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Vampires don't have any of those weaknesses. I mean, just look; I'm wearing a cross and walking about in broad daylight and I'm fine!"

"Yeah, well, the other vampires that I met weren't so lucky," I responded. Something was very wrong here. I had met, spoken, and fought with Blade, and he didn't seem like the type of person to screw up the facts of the creatures that he hunted. Plus, Michael Morbius couldn't have faked his transformations between the day and night cycles. So what gives?

The only logical answer was…

 _Ah crap, you've got to be kidding me._

"Your...your kind has subspecies, doesn't it?" I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. "Oh, son of a—so now there are more vampires out there, and some of them don't even share the same weaknesses as the last ones?!"

The girl stared up at me while I went on my miniature rant about how frustratingly stupid this all was. "Um," she began shyly. "I don't know what experiences you may have had with other vampires, but I promise you I won't try to hurt you. It was instincts, really it was!"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that so? And what guarantee do I have that you won't try anything?"

The vampire paused and frantically looked around, trying to figure out what to say to get me to trust her. "I can…you…we," she stammered. I sighed and took a look at my watch. To my dismay, school would start soon, and being late on my first day wouldn't make a very good first impression.

"Look darling, the last vampire I tangled with tried to drink my blood before he proceeded to turn into a giant bat monster and fly off to hibernate or whatever it is giant bat monsters do. If you planned on some grand escape along with a terrifying transformation, could you do it now? I've got places to be, so if this is going to turn into some massive fight, let's just get it over with already." I paused. "I could probably tackle you into the ocean if you went flying off into the sunset or something..."

That last line was meant as a joke, but it seemed that the girl took it very seriously, if her terrified expression was anything to go by. "No, please, don't throw me into the ocean! We can work this out! Just please, don't throw me into the ocean!"

I raised an eyebrow when I saw the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. I didn't know what it was about the ocean that set her off, but whatever it was, it had an effect. Apparently, this vampire was hydrophobic. Which meant I had found one weakness that may or may not have been unique to her.

"Look, the students at the school are more than capable of defending themselves," she cried. "And I'd never hurt any of them! I've never even drank anyone's blood, you would have been my first!"

Oh? An inexperienced vampire? "So did you come here to prey on the students?" I asked.

Her eyes widened when she realized what her statement had implied. "No! This is a school for monsters, I came here to get away from the humans and get an education!"

Wait, hold on. A school for monsters?

The symbiote's confusion was identical to my own.

"I'm…sorry, could you repeat that?" I asked slowly. The vampire blinked owlishly for a moment.

"R-repeat what?" she asked.

"Who is this school for?" I asked again.

"M-monsters," she squeaked, shrinking away from me as best as she could. A school for monsters. I was at a school for monsters. Now I _knew_ this was a mistake; Aunt May couldn't have possibly known that I was Spider-Man, and even if she did, she'd never send me to a school for monsters.

I looked back down at the girl beneath me before slowly swallowing. Could it be possible that she was telling the truth? This school certainly didn't look like a place for normal teenagers. However, whether she was lying or not didn't necessarily justify leaving her here to either starve or be eaten. And if she was in fact telling the truth, I had just walked into something much more dangerous than a high school. If Yōkai Academy was what this girl claimed it was, then I may very well need her for more information. It seemed as though I'd be cutting this one loose.

 _Spider-sense, symbiote, we're watching this one._

I placed my hands on the webbing that covered her feet and allowed my partner to reabsorb it, though it took a bit of convincing to get the symbiote to free the vampire. When she made no move to attack, I freed her hands and stood up while she pulled herself to her feet. "Try anything funny and we're going to have a real problem," I growled.

The vampire slowly stood to her feet, rubbing her shoulder with her other arm as she fidgeted in place before looking up at me. "You probably hate vampires, don't you?" she whispered.

I paused upon hearing her broken and depressed tone. I shook my head with a sigh before answering. "No, I don't. I don't judge based on race, so the fact that you're a vampire isn't exactly the root of the problem. What I said before goes both ways; you try anything funny, and we're going to have problems, however, you keep your act together, and we won't have any repeats of this situation. Simple as that."

Her head snapped up immediately, locking eyes with me before a massive smile found its way onto her face. "You mean it?! You're not angry with me?!"

She was pretty excited at the moment, and I'd be lying if I said I truly understood why. "Um, no, I'm not angry, not if you were telling the truth. You said it was basic instincts, so if you're really as harmless as you claim to be, I'm not going to hold this against you."

By now, the vampire was practically _glowing_ with happiness as she grinned at me. "So does this mean we're friends?!" she asked while bouncing in place.

And now that the personality one-eighty was out of the way, the conversation continued. I blinked at the vampire before awkwardly glancing to the right before returning my attention to her. "I think knowing each other's names might be a little high on the priorities list before we start calling each other 'friends'."

The vampire opened her mouth before abruptly closing it. She rubbed the back of her head in a sheepish manner while giving me a toothy grin. "Ah ha, you might be right," she began. "I'm Moka, Moka Akashiya." She held out her hand, finally offering a gesture of friendship. The innocent smile on her face portrayed no negative emotions, and while the symbiote was still displeased with her, my spider-sense wasn't warning me of anything, so it was with only a little hesitation that I reached out and firmly grasped the newly-dubbed Moka's hand.

"Peter. Peter Parker."

 **A/N:** _So here it is; the first chapter of a Spider-Man/Rosario Vampire crossover. Hopefully, this story takes off because I enjoyed writing this chapter and I'd hope to have an audience to write more chapters for._ _Anyway, the bottom of each chapter will contain a short section that explains a few decisions that I make throughout the course of the story and why I do certain things. The following is said section._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Peter's Behavior:** _While not entirely obvious here, Peter's personality has been adjusted just a bit to match his age and his relationship with the symbiote. Naturally, he's a bit less mature than an older Spidey, and with the black suit, he doesn't let himself get pushed around nearly as much. The changes shouldn't become something that's constantly noticeable (it's still Peter Parker, after all), but you'll occasionally see a characteristic that can only be found in a teenage and/or black suited Spider-Man._

 **Peter vs. Moka:** _I know that this has been done before, but it seems like a logical course of action. Peter, while young, isn't stupid, nor is he easily wooed by an attractive girl. That and he has the symbiote there to remind him of what he's doing. So, resisting Moka's attempt to drink his blood seemed like something Peter would have done, black suit or not. This story's Moka is stronger than a human in her normal form, but not that powerful. Inner Moka is, well, Inner Moka. We all know that she's going to be a tough one. The kick to the face might not have been something that the normal Spider-Man would have done, but again, this story's version of Peter is more violent due to the symbiote. Little actions such as this have become unnoticeable to him at this point, so the extra damage he inflicts sort of goes over his head._

 **Symbiote Speech:** _I know that symbiotes have been portrayed as intelligent life forms, and I know that it might seem a bit odd that I didn't give this one the ability to speak, but I've seen so many stories on this site that have the main character sharing his body with some other creature, which results in many, many conversations between the two partners. It feels a bit overused, so instead of taking that route, I decided I'd give the symbiote the ability to communicate, but not with words. Instead, it uses emotions and thoughts to get its points across._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **davaskog040:** _Wonderful! Glad to have you on board._

 **Darkus and Z:** _Thank you, the support is appreciated._

 **ShadingWolf49:** _I'm happy you're enjoying it so far. Hopefully, this story takes off._

 **Harley Quinn-PsychoticAntiHero:** _Ah, I remember you from my last story. That name is hard to forget. Anyway, this story's symbiote does indeed come with its own array of negative side effects and weaknesses, but draining the host's life force is not one of them._

 **A/N:** _Heads up, the first glimpse of Peter's altered personality is inbound._

 **-Chapter 2: First Day-**

The thought of packing up and leaving had crossed my mind a hundred times as we walked to the school. This was obviously a mistake, one that could lead to some bad situations, and I already had enough problems to deal with as Spider-Man. However, sheer curiosity drove me on. I was at a school for monsters for crying out loud! I was among creatures thought to be fictional, and while I had met vampires before, I was dying to see what else could be hiding in Yōkai Academy.

On top of that, I wanted to see if these monsters were planning anything. I knew that I was being a little paranoid, but nonhuman creatures bent on the destruction of this planet had become all too real in the past for people like me, and I wanted to make sure these monsters weren't planning a mass takeover. If they were, I might be able to warn the rest of humanity about what was hiding right under our noses, but only if truly necessary. It seemed as though these creatures wanted to stay hidden.

Next to me, Moka winced as she brought her fingers up to her slightly swollen lip. I watched with a small amount of regret as she repeated the action several more times. "Sorry about the kick," I muttered sheepishly.

Moka shook her head. "No, I understand. From your perspective, I probably looked like a crazy woman trying to attack you," she said with a giggle. "Fighting back would have been a logical response." She turned to look at me, squinting slightly. "You know, I've noticed that you have an accent."

I gave Moka a quizzing look as she strode alongside me. "And you don't look Japanese," she continued. "Are you one of those monsters that took the form of a foreigner, or are you actually a foreigner?"

"This is my first time in Japan," I answered while glancing around. We were very close to Yōkai Academy now, and up close, it looked a little less like a creepy old church, but it was still far from what I expected a school to look like.

"Oh, why that's wonderful!" Moka cried, clasping her hands together as she did so. "My first friend and he's from an entirely different country! What are you, European?"

"American," I answered hesitantly. What did she mean by 'first friend'? It seemed self-explanatory, but did she literally mean I was her first friend? Moka's eyes suddenly shot open in shock, a look of fear coming over her face.

"A-American? As in, you're from the U.S.A?" she almost whispered. I slowly nodded while wondering what could have possibly warranted such a reaction out of her. Did Japanese vampires hate America or something?

"That's terrible," she whispered. "I'm so sorry to hear that…"

What the heck was she talking about? "Moka, I'm not sure what impressions the world has of America, but I'm sure it's not as bad as you think," I said slowly. Moka's head jerked up to look at me, the fear still very present in her eyes.

"Not as bad as I think?!" she all but shouted. "Peter, have you been keeping up with the news at all lately? There are reports of humans with powers popping up all over the place, and most of them came from America! One of them evens calls himself 'Captain America'!"

I blinked at her. What exactly was her issue with humans with powers, with humans like _me_? "Yeah, I know about those humans. Why are you so scared of them?"

Moka shivered, grabbing her shoulders with her arms. "The idea of humans running around with super powers would terrify any monster. Humans would hate us if they found us, and now that some of them are gaining powers, we monsters are beginning to get more and more worried. What would happen if they discovered us?"

I had no idea, nor did I truly understand why Moka and others of her kind were so scared of us humans. "But the idea of _living_ among them?! That's insanity!" Moka shouted. "How can you be comfortable walking down a street when you know that one of the humans around you might be capable of spitting fire or throwing cars?"

Because I'm one of those humans.

"You…get used to it," I finished awkwardly. "My family wasn't exactly rich, so traveling was pretty low on the priorities list. Though, if you don't mind me pointing out, you seem to strongly dislike humans."

Moka's head fell and she stared at the ground, taking a breath. "I do," she muttered. "I went to human school during my time in their world. The humans there…they could be so cruel, so disrespectful. They don't believe in monsters, and being among them; it was like I didn't belong at all."

I watched Moka as she recalled her experiences with my kind. The look of hurt in her eyes was real, and that meant that we had a problem. That problem being that not only was I a human, but I was also one of those humans with super powers, one of those humans that people like Moka feared. What would happen if she found out about me? Should I tell her what I am?

I regarded her once more. We had stopped walking, and in the stillness of the quiet day, I really had time to think about what I'd do.

 _No…no, I can't tell her. If she was serious about me being her first friend, finding out that I'm one of her greatest fears might drive her to suicide or leave emotional scars._

Moka's head slowly moved up as she made eye contact. Her eyes began glazing over, and the pale eyelids that covered them began sinking once more.

 _I'll wait. If Moka ends up hanging around me, I'll have a chance to earn her trust. That way, if I ever do reveal my nature to her, she'll be able to weigh my race against the way I had treated her, and hopefully overcome whatever prejudice she has against humans._

I was so lost in thought, I almost failed to notice that Moka's mouth had opened and her fangs were beginning to close in on my neck. Luckily for me, however, I had both my spider-sense and the symbiote around to snap me back into reality should I lose focus. The tingling in the base of my skull instantly alerted me to Moka's attempt to feed on me, and the symbiote's warning quickly entered my mind through our telepathic link. I responded instantly by reaching out and forcing my palm against Moka's chin, clamping her jaw shut.

"Hey," I growled. "Snap out of it." Moka's eyes quickly regained their focus and her face heated up.

"I'm sorry!" she cried as she scrambled back. "It was the instincts again! I haven't fed yet, and your blood smells so…so _good_!"

I frowned at Moka's feeding habits. Yet another problem presented by her presence.

The symbiote's thoughts filled my mind. It wanted to just leave this girl behind and move on. I retaliated with thoughts of what might happen if I just up and left her. Again, if she was serious about the whole 'first friend' thing, leaving her without giving a reason might drive her to suicide.

However, the current problem had nothing to do with that. The issue right now was her feeding habits. "Moka," I began. "You said I would have been your first, err, 'meal', right?" The pink-haired vampire nodded. "So what did you eat up until this point?" I asked.

"Tomato juice and transfusion bags," she answered without hesitation.

I nodded slowly in response. "Alright, tomato juice. Is there any here? Did you bring any with you?" Again, Moka nodded in response to my questions. "Do you think you could drink that to satisfy your hunger? We can't have you attacking the students or staff once we get inside."

Moka snapped her fingers as though she had just realized something. "Oh man, I had totally forgotten that I could drink the tomato juice! Your blood just smelled so sweet that I forgot about it!"

I gave her a deadpan stare before shaking my head, watching as Moka grabbed a water bottle filled with tomato juice from her bag and began gulping it down. "You good?" I asked as she finished her meal, to which she responded with an excited nod. "Come on then. We need to get this show on the road and get to our classes."

The two of us made our way through the entrance ceremony, much of which we had missed. We still managed to glean the necessary information and before long, we parted ways. We each went to our respective dorms—which were given to each individual student, thankfully. I dropped my backpack on the floor as I stepped into the room that I would call my own for some time, taking in the sight of my new home. It was fairly clean, prepared especially to house aspiring students—or the not so aspiring ones.

I stepped over to the closet, opening it in the process and glancing inside. It was empty save for a few extra school outfits that hung from the coat rack. Each outfit was a replica of the school uniform I had received, leaving no room for excuses when it came to following Yōkai's dress code.

Dress codes. Something that was basically nonexistent in the United States. I wasn't entirely used to it, but I had an advantage that most other students didn't have.

My suit was an alien.

Making my way over back to the backpack, I opened it and grabbed the neatly folded uniform that was given to me some time ago. It was the original outfit, the one that my symbiote had copied when it first came. So while every other student was stuck with a uniform that they might find uncomfortable, I had an organic one that could soften or harden—to an extent—to either provide comfort or extra protection.

I hung the original outfit on the coat rack alongside its clones and shut the closet before taking one last look around the room. I had no posters to put up or immediate things to do, so the only thing left was to head to class. Besides, I had been late to the ceremony as it was, so I already had less time to get everything done. Without missing a beat, I headed out the door, making my way to my assigned class. My teacher was to be one 'Miss Nekonome', and I found myself wondering what kind of monster she would be.

It wasn't long before I walked into my designated class and finally met my new teacher. The first thing I noticed was the fact that she seemed to have feline ears atop her head, both of which matched her blond hair. She looked up from her desk and greeted me with a wide smile as I walked in, to which I responded with a polite nod.

"Why hello there!" she exclaimed. "Nice to meet you! I'm Miss Nekonome, the teacher here. And you are?"

"Peter Parker, the new student here," I answered. "Pleasure's all mine. Do we have assigned seats?"

"Oh no, just go ahead and choose a spot," she said while gesturing to the mostly empty classroom. "Anywhere is fine."

I nodded and made my way to the back of the classroom, choosing a seat by the window. There was a girl with strikingly blue hair and brilliant purple eyes already sitting in the back, close to the seat I had chosen, and as I approached the desk, I glanced at her and offered a small smile. She blinked before giving me a hesitant wave as I sat down. My eyes wandered across the room, never staying in one spot for too long. There were a few other students in the classroom, and I found myself wondering just what they could be.

 _So that teacher isn't a human? And neither is that girl behind me? Or that guy in the front?_

They certainly looked human, save for the teacher's catlike ears, but this couldn't have been it, it just couldn't. This was a school for monsters, and yet everyone I had seen so far looked perfectly normal except for some strange hair and eye colors. They must have had a way to hide their nature from others; otherwise, they would have been discovered long ago.

My eyes suddenly widened as a new possibility occurred to me. Had Moka lied? Had she said those things solely to get me to lower my guard and let her off with nothing more than what equated to a slap on the wrist? For all I knew, she could be out there draining a student of his blood in a bathroom stall!

The symbiote caught on to what I was thinking almost instantly, and its thoughts quickly flooded my mind, thoughts of how to defeat that girl in the fastest way possible. She had been scared of the water, so if anything, I could try to use that against her, but…

 _Stop. Calm down. If she lied and went out to hunt students, she and I will be having another little talk, but there's no point in jumping to conclusions. Just stay calm, keep a level head, and don't get noticed yet. If this is a school for monsters, getting noticed might be fatal._

The internal monologue was as much for the symbiote as it was for me. _Both_ of us needed to remain calm if we were to get through this.

Slowly, the class began filling up as students of all sizes and appearances began coming in and taking seats. Eventually, Miss Nekonome made her way up to the front of the room, directly in front of the large green chalkboard. "Hello everybody," she began cheerfully. "My name is Miss Nekonome, and it's a pleasure to meet you all and to be able to teach you this year! Now then, I'm sure you all know this by now, but here at Yōkai Academy, we do things a little differently than in the average human school."

Moka's story was checking out so far.

"This school is exclusively for monsters," continued the teacher. "And as such, we expect our students to follow certain rules that you may or may not have had to deal with in human schools. I know, I know, you all hate rules, but they're there for a reason. And that reason would be humans. You see class, like it or not, humans are the dominant species on this planet, and it seems as though that's not going to change anytime soon. So, in order for monsters like you and I to survive, our only hope is to learn to coexist with them. That brings us to our first rule: except in special circumstances, all students and staff will remain in their human forms as long as they're on campus. This will help you all get used to the idea of hiding your true nature, and by the time you leave this school, it will have become _second_ nature!"

Miss Nekonome smiled at her own slogan. "Rule number two: under no circumstances are you to reveal your monster identity to another student. Whatever monster you are, you keep it to yourselves; telling somebody is strictly forbidden. This too will help you keep your true nature hidden from the eyes of the humans. Can I count on everybody to follow these rules?"

Well, it looked like pinkie didn't lie to me back there.

Somebody snorted to my right, and I turned to find a large student with slicked back hair and a dirty grin on his face. "Heh, bunch of stupid rules," he mocked. I frowned at what seemed to be a Japanese Flash Thompson as he continued giving the teacher his grin.

To her credit, Miss Nekonome remained cheerful and calm in her response. "Ah, and you are…Saizou Komiya, correct?"

"If we do spot a human, why not just eat it? That seems like a good plan to me," he said with a shrug. "Unless it's one of those hot girls. With them, we can just tear off their clothes and—"

"That is quite enough," Miss Nekonome interrupted. "That kind of talk might have been tolerated some years ago, but as of now, that attitude needs to be put down." The teacher sighed and leaned against her desk, bowing her head slightly as her smile faded. "Class, I understand that many of you might dislike humans. I get that many of you might hate them entirely for something that may have happened to you or your family because of them, but now more than ever, coexistence is crucial."

She momentarily took off her glasses as the atmosphere in the room took a turn for the serious. "Those of you who have spent time keeping up with news in the human world probably know this by now, but as of late, reports of humans with super powers have become frighteningly common."

I heard a student swallow loudly, and a quick look around the room gave me a view of the other students, many of which looked… _scared_.

"Once, the humans outnumbered us, which was a problem," Miss Nekonome explained. "Then, their advances in technology drove their race to new heights, which caused even more problems for our kinds. Now, we have humans flying through the sky and shooting lasers while others sprint around at the speed of light or brainwash their enemies."

Hold on…

"Right now, we are at a severe disadvantage," the teacher continued. "The humans have superior numbers, superior technology, and now, they're beginning to gain powers of their own. I will restate that coexistence is becoming more crucial; it's more a necessity now than anything else. If the humans found us, they'd send the fastest, the strongest, and the smartest of their kind to face us, and with these new powers, many individual humans have become a serious threat to monsters of all sorts."

Saizou Komiya had quieted down and was now looking at his desk with a grim expression.

I understood now. Oh how I understood. These monsters were severely outnumbered by humans, and they held on to the hope of survival by telling themselves that, on an individual basis, they were stronger than any human could ever hope to be. Coexistence aside, what kept these monsters going was the idea that they were just _stronger_. And now, people like the Hulk, people like Captain America, people like _me_ were coming along and crushing that hope.

People like me were these monsters' worst nightmares: powerful humans. We stood to fight for humanity, and that's what terrified these monsters, terrified them because they knew that we'd fight against them if they rose up against the human race.

"So what if a human showed up here, at Yōkai Academy?" asked a female voice from behind me. I threw a glance over my shoulder to the girl who has spoken up, quickly recognizing her as the blue-haired, purple-eyed student I had seen minutes ago.

"That's impossible," replied the teacher. "This school is protected by a powerful barrier, so as long as you all stay here, no humans will find you," she finished with a smile. "You're all safe here."

The atmosphere lightened a little as the students smiled. It was an odd feeling, seeing these students smiling at the realization that they'd be protected from, well, from me.

Were there any humans out there— _innocent_ humans—that looked at Spider-Man and saw someone that they wanted to be protected from? Did some people really fear me like that?

"And if a human did end up on campus," Miss Nekonome continued. "They'd be executed immediately."

I promptly choked on my spit.

 _What?! The heck happened to 'coexistence'?! What, you look at a guy, find out he's human, and your first thought is, 'let's murder him'?!_

This was bad. This was very, very bad. If somebody found out that I was a human, a human with _powers_ no less, there'd be a manhunt for me. And if I was caught, the death penalty apparently applied.

I could feel the symbiote's emotions, feel its concern. It was by no means scared—in fact, it was ready to brutally beat down anybody who tried harming us—but it wasn't stupid enough to think that we were safe here. Powers or not, I was in a school full of countless nonhuman beings whose abilities I knew nothing of.

I needed to get out of here. Curiosity be damned, it wasn't worth losing my life over.

"Sorry I'm late!" cried a familiar, bubbly voice. I recognized it instantly and jerked up, eyes focusing on the door. A certain vampire rushed through it, her pink hair flowing behind her as sweat poured down her face. "I'm so sorry! I got lost on the way here, did I miss anything important?"

Miss Nekonome smiled. "See me after class and I'll give you a rundown on what you missed, though it's not much. Please, introduce yourself!"

Moka walked up right in front of the class, giving them all her innocent smile as she held her bag with both hands. "Hi! I'm Moka Akashiya, it's nice to meet you all!"

I noticed the change instantly. Where the students were once depressed and saddened by the news of humans with super powers, now they gaped at Moka, eyes wide and faces red. I could hear the girls whispering about how cute they thought Moka looked, while the males couldn't stop talking about how attractive they thought she was.

'Attractive', though, was a polite way of putting it. An actual quote from Saizou went somewhere along the lines of "sexy as fu"—you know what, I wasn't going to finish that.

Did people really find her that attractive?

Moka glanced around the classroom nervously while her cheeks flushed red, no doubt in response to the attention she was receiving, and I wondered whether or not she heard some of the less subtle comments from Saizou and a few of the other males. Her eyes suddenly settled on me, and I gave her a small wave. A massive grin broke out across her face and Moka was suddenly flying through the air.

Straight at me.

My jaw dropped at her advance and I held by hands up, catching her as she threw her arms around my neck and pressed her chin against my shoulder. "Peter! It's you! We're in the same class!"

 _Who the heck tackle-hugs people like this?! We just met!_

"Uh, yeah, so we are," I said as I awkwardly patted her back. "Nice to see you too, Moka." From the corner of my eye, I could see the students staring at me with surprise and jealousy. The males in particular were glaring dagger at me, and Saizou Komiya was, well…

He looked about ready to _throw_ daggers at me.

Class continued on fairly normally after Moka's scene, save for the constant death glares I was receiving from the surrounding students. Seriously, you'd think that Moka was the only girl on the planet what with the way all the male students were watching her.

When the hour was finally over, we set out to make use of the small amount of free time we were given. I was sure that the schedules would quickly fill up, but until then, I was being dragged outside by an excited Moka as she made her way to the vending machine with me in tow. "Oh, this is so cool!" she shouted happily. "We're in the same class and everything!"

"I noticed," I muttered. Great, what was I going to do about Moka? I needed to find out if I was really her first friend, and if I truly was, just packing up and leaving might seriously hurt her.

"Hey, Moka?" I began as we approached the vending machine. "You said earlier that I was your first friend. Were you serious?"

Moka had turned to look at me when I began speaking, but now she began fidgeting and nervously tapping her fingers together. "…yeah, I was," she said shyly. "I wasn't very good at making friends back in the human world. The other students always thought I was different and they always made me feel like it would be better if I had just left." Moka's face broke out into a wide smile. "But then I met you! And you were so nice, and understanding, and…and nice!"

Oh great. She was so happy that she was tripping over her words and repeating them. If she had gotten this attached to me this quickly, how would she react if I just left? This girl didn't seem too stable; she had faced prejudice from those around her for most of her life, and now she was clinging to the first person who didn't judge her.

And of course, that person just so happened to be me.

She needed help, but how would I tell her that? And who would help her? I certainly wasn't an expert in psychology, so I'd be useless.

And while all this was happening, the symbiote's desire to leave was ever-present. It didn't care for Moka—all it wanted to do was to get out of here with both itself and its host intact. I could understand the self-preservation instinct, and the sad part was that I was definitely inclined to just leave, regardless of the consequences. But a part of me would always look back at this girl that I'd be abandoning, and it would always wonder what happened to her.

What was I going to do?

"Hey Peter?" asked Moka. "You alright? You're zoning out over there…"

I snapped back to reality. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about…stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Moka inquired.

"Personal stuff," I answered. My pink-haired companion regarded me for a moment before shrugging and making her way over the vending machine. I followed and purchased some soda that she had recommended while she bought tomato juice to sate her thirst for blood, and the two of us sat down on a bench, gulping down our drinks of choice.

We sat in silence as we drank, with Moka casting the occasional glance and smile in my direction. If I met her eye, I'd just smile and nod before returning to my drink, but most of the time, I pretended not to notice her wandering green orbs. "You know," she finally began. "You never did tell me what your monster form is."

I paused. "Against school rules."

Moka blinked before smiling sheepishly. "Oh sorry, I forgot. I was just really curious as to what you were," she explained before pausing awkwardly and waiting. The uncomfortable silence that followed saw her staring expectantly at me while I pretended to be oblivious. What the heck was she doing? "Like, _really_ curious," she said. I didn't bother replying as Moka continued looking at me. "Like, reaaaallllyyy curious…"

I sat there wondering if she was going to stop.

"Like reaaa—"

"I'm not telling you what I am," I said with a chuckle. Despite the severity of the situation I was in, this girl could still crack me up. Moka giggled and finally accepted that I wasn't going to tell her anything and leaned back against the bench. I regarded her for a second, mentally comparing her to some of the vampires I had encountered in the past.

She was nothing like Michael Morbius. Sure, her skin was pale, but it wasn't paper-white, and her facial structure wasn't distorted or anything. But then again, she was in human for—

I blinked. "Hey, are you in human form right now or your monster form?" I asked.

Moka turned to me with a surprised look and cocked her head. "My human form. Why do you ask?"

"Why is it that some of the monsters here look exactly like humans, but others have certain characteristics of their monster form showing through? You've still got fangs and Miss Nekonome still has her cat ears, but others look totally human."

Moka smiled. "Well, I can't speak for Miss Nekonome, but I personally am a special case." She reached down, delicately grabbing the rosary around her neck and holding it up for me to see. "If this rosary were to be removed, I'd assume my true form, a powerful and terrifying vampire."

I raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You? Terrifying? I'm sorry, but you couldn't look any less threatening if you tried."

Moka pouted, completing the whole 'utterly harmless' look she had going. "Well, maybe I'm good at hiding my scary side," she said while sticking her tongue out.

I chuckled. "Appearances can be deceiving, can't they?"

I was living proof.

I was suddenly aware of a curiosity growing within me. The symbiote was taking an interest in Moka's "powerful and terrifying" inner vampire. What the symbiote heard was "hey, I'm an opponent that is challenging you", and it was getting excited at the idea of a challenger. Moka hadn't made any attempt to fight me, but the symbiote still saw a rival. It saw an obstacle to overcome.

But, unlike my partner, I was not one to jump at the chance to fight someone just because they were strong, and I most certainly wouldn't fight an innocent girl just for kicks.

"Hey sweet cheeks, you said your name was Moka Akashiya, right?"

Moka and I jerked in surprise before we both looked up to see Saizou Komiya casually strolling over to us. He took one shameless look at Moka's chest before looking over at me. "So what's a babe like this doing hanging with a numbnuts like you?" he asked with a grin.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I guess you were the alternative, so she cut her losses and went with the lesser evil."

The cocky grin vanished instantly, replaced by an angry glare. "What did you just say to me, _punk_?"

The symbiote writhed in a concealed manner. It saw a potential confrontation, and it wanted to _fight_. I, on the other hand, wanted to remain inconspicuous, but I'd be lying if I said that I would actively avoid fighting this guy.

My spider-sense went wild as Saizou's hand shot forward, but I let him have his way for the moment. His fist enclosed around the red tie I was required to wear, and he lifted me off the bench. He wasn't tall enough to lift me off the ground, so we ended up face to face with him standing slightly taller than me.

"NO!" Moka shouted. "Put him down!"

Saizou looked at her before his gaze switched back to me as he snorted. "You know, I think Moka here shouldn't waste her time on a smart-ass like you and go hang with a real man," Saizou said in a threatening manner.

The symbiote was getting more and more excited, and I could feel some of its more violent thoughts as it quickly began planning on the best way to smack Saizou around.

 _Alright, I won't swing first, but if he attacks, we'll fight back. Sound good?_

Agreement. The symbiote was okay with this plan.

I began pointedly looking around, making sure my eyes roamed the surrounding area. Plenty of witnesses, and many were looking our way. Perfect. They'd be able to testify that Saizou swung first, if he swung. The jock in question grinned and raised an eyebrow. "If you're looking for somebody to save your sorry ass, you can give up. It ain't gonna happen."

"Oh no, I'm just looking for that 'real man' you mentioned," I replied in the most serious tone I could manage. "Where'd you say he was?"

For a second, I thought the insult went right over Saizou's head, but when his eyes narrowed, I knew he picked up on it. "That _real man_ is getting ready to knock your teeth in," he growled.

"Stop!" Moka shouted before turning to those around us. "Somebody get a teacher!" she screamed to the surrounding students.

Crap. If a teacher saw this, I'd be on the school's radar. I needed to end this, _now_ , whether with a quick fight or by backing down. I could tell by Saizou's attitude that he was a proud person, and if I beat him in a fight, he'd most likely keep it to himself and avoid telling the teachers, especially since he thought I was weaker than him. On the other hand, backing down might give this pervert a chance to try something on Moka.

Deciding whether or not he could hang around Moka might not have been my call to make, but backing down now might give him the courage to continue this, and I might end up being the push he needed to start oppressing other students. Bullying had been a big problem in the past, and I was _not_ about to let some punk who thinks he's hot stuff walk around like he owns the place, not when I was Spider-Man, not when I had the symbiote.

It looked like Saizou wouldn't be getting a free target today.

"Don't sweat it Moka," I said loudly enough for the other students to hear. "He won't try anything. He's not _that_ dumb."

I could see Saizou's fist trembling and his face getting redder. The symbiote would see his attack coming from a mile away, my spider-sense would see it coming, _I_ would see it coming.

I was ready for whatever this guy would try.

So when the punch came, I was already moving to stop it. Saizou's fist rocketed towards my face, but my hand shot up faster than his could move. I caught his arm by the wrist, and before either of us could react, the clothing covering my chest shimmered and rippled as a black mass roughly the size of a fist shot out, slamming into Saizou's throat.

He coughed and fell backwards as my symbiote quite literally decked him in the Adam's apple, forcing him to relinquish his grip on me. The symbiote's makeshift fist quickly melted back into its form, instantly taking the same shape it had held before, making it seem as though I punched Saizou with an invisible force.

The crowd of students gasped as Saizou ended up flat on his back while Moka covered her mouth with her hands. My hands, meanwhile, went straight up to my tie to readjust it before I offered Saizou a small smile. "Good game," I said with faked cheerfulness.

I knew I was being arrogant, but it would set an example. This guy identified himself as a pervert and a potential rapist back in class, and knowing that there were people on campus that were capable of knocking him around might deter him from trying anything on the girls.

The only thing I had to worry about was if his monster form was some sort of demigod. But at the same time, if he was powerful and dangerous, his attention would be focused on me, not on the other students, so that at least drew the threat away from them.

"Let's get out of here," I muttered to Moka as Saizou began standing. "He might try something again, and I'd rather we didn't get caught up in an all-out brawl on the first day of school."

Moka nodded dumbly as she looked me up and down with what one could describe as shock and awe. We began walking away, and as we did, I checked over my shoulder to see Saizou rising to his full height as he glared at me in fury. He brought his hand up and dragged his thumb across his neck as a long tongue flicked past his lips. I smirked and winked at him, mouthing a simple message.

 _"Try it."_

 **A/N:** _Another chapter up, and this has been the first glimpse of this Peter's slightly different personality. Once again, explanations for my choices are found below._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Arrogant Peter?:** _I know that Peter isn't the type to boast, but when putting a pervert in his place, it seemed natural for the black suited Spider-Man to make it obvious that he's not someone to be messed with. Of course, the symbiote also influences Spider-Man's personality, as seen in the T.V shows, movies, comics, etc., where it makes him more aggressive. This Peter won't be aggressive to the point where he's actively searching out fights, but it's safe to say he won't take abuse lying down._

 **Serious Peter:** _He'll loosen up as time goes on. He's at a monster school that'll execute him if they know he's human, so he's being cautious for now._

 **Symbiote Punch:** _The symbiotes can generate a moderate amount of force independent of their host's power/will so that, when threatened, they can also fight back. Now, this story's symbiote (the Venom symbiote, in case anybody was wondering) is only capable of exerting a small amount of force on its own, so you won't see the symbiote smacking people around. If directed at a sensitive area, however, the symbiote can definitely harm an opponent. Getting punched in the Adam's apple isn't the most pleasant of experiences, so the symbiote's punch, while fairly weak, was enough to stun Saizou. Plus, it can harden itself to an extent, so it wasn't as though Saizou was getting punched by a liquid._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE AGAIN:** _Reviews aren't properly appearing for me, so I can't see what you guys are saying until a few days after you say it. If I miss somebody's review, I'm sorry about that; I'm doing my best to stay on top of whatever my readers are saying. Finally, there are several important entries in the Explanations/Clarifications section at the bottom of this chapter that go over some of the side effects of the symbiote that will be seen in this chapter. I highly encourage you all to read through them for a better understanding of how Peter is affected by his partner._

 **READ THAT NOTICE!**

 **Arachnophile801:** _Let me start by apologizing for missing your review. It didn't show up like it should have, and I didn't actually see it until a day after posting the previous chapter, so this is the earliest reply I could give (I don't know why, but it wouldn't let me PM you). That being said, thank you for taking the time to critique my work and offer feedback. Now then, it hasn't been mentioned yet, but this Peter has been Spider-Man for a little over a year, so he was actually fifteen when Ben Parker died. This by itself didn't turn Peter into a grouch; it left him angry, yes, but not to the point where he was constantly taking it out on others. The point is that it made him more susceptible to the symbiote, which he met several months after this event, not long enough for him to completely forget what had happened. New York's reaction also would have had an effect, but it wouldn't have turned him into a grouch either. However, nobody can go through life being hated by everyone and come out unaffected. This too, had a contribution to the altered personality by making him slightly bitter by the time he met the symbiote. True, he kept his cheerful attitude, but he was a little annoyed by the constant hate. Finally, the main cause of his change: the symbiote. That by itself would be enough, and the previous two points were explained to reinforce the idea that it had a major influence on him. With the alien bonded to him, Peter felt more powerful, and as such, he began to stop letting people walk all over him. The idea here was that the symbiote made him ask himself "Why do I let people treat me like trash? I can fight back if I wanted to!" In some storylines, he kept up the weak nerd act in school to avoid suspicion, but with the symbiote attached, he's got a bit of an issue with people trying to push him around. Ultimately, the black suit is the biggest influence in his life right now, and it has been for the past few months since he's met it. I never intended to turn him into a moody, grouchy teenager because it won't make him a likable person, which is an issue when writing a Rosario + Vampire story. And yes, you are correct; FrivolousThoughts' Moka Akashiya chapter was a major influence. I tried to create as many differences as possible, but a lot of the paths FrivolousThoughts took were perfectly logical and seemed characteristic of Spidey. As for the symbiote's speech, I'm glad to hear you like it! Finally (this next part is a reply to your second review—or the second one I've actually seen), it will eventually be explained why Peter decided to keep the symbiote, and that little tidbit of information about it not originally changing his personality? THAT was new. I've never heard of that aspect of our favorite black goo. Again, thank you for all your feedback, I really do appreciate it._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _So far, when I imagine this Spider-Man in his costume, I envision him as a slightly shorter version of the black suited Spider-Man from the animated series. So, technically, I'm using the one from Spider-Man: the Animated Series._

 **JustAWriter123:** _Right now, I have no plans of having him throw the symbiote away._

 **nataku2709:** _As much as I like Venom, this Peter Parker will look like the black suited Spider-Man from the animated series when he puts on the black suit because I like it more and because the symbiote hasn't actually become Venom yet. However, I'm still debating whether or not to have the symbiote make a few appearances as Venom._

 **Kharn:** _Thank you for your compliments. As for the routes, you'll have to wait and see :)_

 **-Chapter 3: Watchful Eye-**

Moka exhaled loudly as she shut the door behind her. She slowly looked up while pressing her back against said door. "That was pretty tense," she said.

"Was also pretty pointless," I mumbled. Seriously, Saizou had approached me intent on fighting for the sake of a girl he had just met. And not to protect her, but to date her! He had tried to _fight_ me to date a girl he had just met! "Moka," I began. "Do you and Saizou have a history or something?"

Moka blinked. "A history? No, I've never met him. Why do you ask?"

"It seems a bit odd that he's so dead set on you considering his only interaction with you has been watching you in class. He was willing to fight me and everything, and that was all under the _assumption_ that you and I were together. The idea of you spending time around me angered him so much that he was willing to threaten me over it, even if we were just friends."

Moka looked at the ground. "I…don't know why he's so obsessed. I would have given him the time of day if he didn't act so aggressively towards you. You didn't do anything to him, did you?"

I shook my head. "Never met the guy before today. I was in America, remember?" Moka flinched upon hearing that and I made a mental note to avoid bringing up America or humans with powers in general. "You know, Saizou will be back."

Moka looked back up to me. "How do you know for sure? You seemed to handle him fairly easily, wouldn't that scare him off?"

I was shaking my head before she even finished the sentence. "Saizou is a proud person. The fact that I punched him to the ground would be enough to draw him back, but he also thinks I'm weaker than him. To him, being punched like that by someone he considers a weakling is a direct insult to his pride. He'll be back alright, and he'll be looking for revenge."

Moka shuffled over to me, leaning on the stone railing that surrounded the perimeter of the school roof as we stared out over the land. "I'm sorry about this," she mumbled. "Saizou wouldn't have approached you if he didn't think he had to get through you for me."

I sighed and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's not your fault. Saizou apparently has a problem with someone else having what he wants. He's a typical schoolyard bully; arrogant and willing to take things by force."

"Maybe…maybe I should talk to him?" Moka offered. "I can turn him down politely and tell him we can just be friends?"

I shrugged. "Saizou doesn't seem like the type that handles rejection well. He—" I froze. Saizou had wanted to get to Moka, and back in Miss Nekonome's class he had said those things about taking human girls. I slowly looked up at Moka, who stared back at me in confusion.

"Peter? What's wrong, you're worrying me," she began nervously.

"Moka, when you take that rosary off and assume your true form, are you powerful? Would you be able to fight Saizou off if he tried anything?" I asked hurriedly.

Moka sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, about that; I sorta…can't transform on my own. This rosary that seals my power? I can't take it off myself."

I blinked at her several times. "So you can't access your power at all?" Moka slowly nodded. This wasn't good. If Saizou tried anything on Moka, she wouldn't be able to fight him off if he were to assume his true form.

"Moka," I began seriously. "Back in Miss Nekonome's class, Saizou mentioned raping girls."

Moka choked on her spit, looking at me with a horrified expression. "I'm not worried about him trying to fight me, but you on the other hand might be in serious danger around him," I continued. "If he's this obsessed and you turn him down, he…he might try to take you by force." Moka was watching me with that same expression, the fear written across her face. "I know this may be a lot to take in, but I'm concerned about what Saizou might try."

"I-I—" Moka began before shaking her head. "I didn't know," she whispered. "Peter, what do we do?! I don't want to be raped!"

"And we're not going to let that happen. Saizou's issue with me will remain as just that; his issue with _me_ ," I explained. "With you, however, we can take it to a teacher. We can go to Miss Nekonome and tell her that we're concerned for your safety around Saizou. If you're truly uncomfortable around him, you have every right to stay away from him, and he'd have no right to force you to spend time with him."

Moka shuffled her feet as she fidgeted in place. "I don't want to make any assumptions or judge people," she said slowly. "But I wouldn't want to-to…you know." I nodded. It only made sense that Moka didn't want to repeat the painful process of prejudice with other students by being the judgmental one, but simultaneously, she wanted to protect herself.

"Tell you what," I began. "We'll go ask Miss Nekonome if Saizou has a history of sexual assault, and if he does, we'll explain the situation. If not, we'll just say he was a bit forceful in trying to get you, and that I was worried that he might hurt you."

Moka slowly nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. That way, we won't be judging him."

I began walking back to the door through which we had come with Moka on my tail. We headed down the steps, making our way to the floor that held Miss Nekonome's classroom. I was hoping that she was still there. The symbiote wriggled as it sent me thoughts of just crushing Saizou and leaving. I sighed at my partner's violent nature.

 _Stop, crippling Saizou will make the other students fear me. And again, Moka might—_

The symbiote interrupted me by sending thoughts of anger and irritation. It was fed up with Moka, and in the symbiote's figurative eyes, she wasn't worth it. We were putting ourselves at risk by staying here.

 _Come on, I can't just ignore her! The least I can do is set her up with a dependable friend for her to cling to and be taken care of by. Sure, she might be sad that I left, but at least she'll have someone to look after her. Look, we'll leave the moment we can and go straight back to New York. We'll have to wait a bit before going out and being Spider-Man to make sure he doesn't reappear on the streets just as we return, but we'll be home soon. Trust me, right now, I've got no intention of spending the year here._

I felt the symbiote's reluctant agreement. It didn't like the fact that we were even here, but it was accepting my plans. Good, that was one problem down.

"Peter? You're spacing out, are you alright?" Moka asked.

Now I had to deal with this one.

"I'm fine. Just thinking," I muttered, only half-focused. How exactly would I leave this place? Did I need a written excuse? What about the bus, was I required to leave on it?

"You sure do that a lot."

I paused and looked at Moka. "What? Think?"

Moka giggled. "No, space out. You seem to go into your own little world."

Or I just talk to my symbiote. I was used to being alone with it.

I shrugged. "What can I say? I—oh, there's Miss Nekonome's classroom. Come on, time to find out if there's a reason for you to really fear Saizou." Moka looked in the direction of the classroom and moved ahead, opening the door as I followed her.

"Um, Miss Nekonome?" Moka asked shyly as she walked in. The teacher looked up just as I walked through the door and gave us a kind smile.

"Mister Parker, Miss Akashiya! How nice to see the two of you again! How may I help you?"

Moka and I glanced at each other, and after a moment's hesitation, I stepped forward. "Miss Nekonome, do you remember the student Saizou Komiya? He sat to my right in class earlier today."

The cat-eared teacher paused and put a finger to her chin in thought before having a mini eureka moment. "Ah! Yes, Mister Saizou, I recall. He was the student who made that rather…inappropriate comment. What about him?"

I sighed. Moment of truth. "Does he have a history of violence or…sexual assault?"

Miss Nekonome reeled back as if struck. "Sexual assault? Oh dear, has something happened?"

I shook my head. "Nothing yet, but I'm concerned about something. Is there a way for you to check whether he's been known to harass girls?"

The teacher sighed. "Sadly, I don't have to check. Saizou was brought to this school due to the fact that he's had a few, ah, _incidents_ involving human women." I felt my fists slowly ball as I sucked in a breath. Next to me, Moka stiffened.

"And you brought him to a _school_ to remedy this?!" I asked incredulously. "Why?"

"To help discipline him," Miss Nekonome replied. "Saizou was brought here because we have staff members that could stop him should he try anything, and because the girls here are more capable of defending themselves than the average human woman. Young as they may be, they still have monster forms. We had nowhere else to send Saizou; this place provided the least risks."

I stood still for a moment as I took that information in. These creatures seemed to have so little in terms of services that their school doubled up as a prison of sorts to hold the less controllable monsters. It was saddening to see so many races stuck in this kind of situation, where things like proper jails and hospitals—things that were taken for granted by humans—had to be crammed into a school where students came to learn.

"Miss Nekonome," I began. "I'm worried about Moka here. Saizou showed a keen interest in her and went so far as to threaten me to back off and let him have her."

Screw keeping the confrontation a secret, I wasn't about to let Moka get raped.

Miss Nekonome gasped before turning to Moka. "Dear, is this true?"

Moka nodded. "Saizou approached Peter and made it very clear that he didn't want him anywhere near me and—"

"And I didn't back down," I finished firmly. "I was worried that, because I didn't let Saizou have his way, he would try taking Moka by force. We decided we'd check with you before complaining about it, and now we find out he's got a history of this crap."

Miss Nekonome nodded. "It's good to see that you're looking out for Miss Akashiya, I can appreciate a student who cares for his peers. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I'll be sure to inform the staff." The teacher sighed. "There is a problem, however. Due to the fact that this is the first day, and because of the unique nature of this school, our staff is very busy. It may take a day or two before the situation can truly be addressed and solved."

The symbiote knew that a day or two was more than enough time for Saizou to make a move. And so did I.

"Saizou might try—" Miss Nekonome raised a hand, cutting me off.

"I know. I'm aware of that. This will require some common sense from both of you, but especially from you, Miss Akashiya," said the teacher as she turned to Moka. "There are a few rules to staying safe, and following them will help keep you out of harm's way until this can be fully addressed. For one, don't go out alone. Stay close to somebody at all times—"

I was going to end up as that somebody, wasn't I?

"And don't go out at night. Make sure you're always within view or earshot of the other students; Saizou will be less likely to try anything when everybody is watching. Look, both of you, I'm terribly sorry for all this; students shouldn't have to deal with these kinds of problems, but on the first day of all days?" She shook her head. "I understand that the two of you may be angry with the school for not taking care of this instantly, but we're doing the best we can with all these students and other issues. I'll make sure this is dealt with as soon as possible, but until then, you're going to have to hold out. I promise, we won't let anything happen to you Miss Akashiya."

Moka nodded slowly. "Thank you, ma'am," she said before bowing. "I'm sorry that I'm causing such a ruckus on the first day—"

Miss Nekonome waved her off. "Nonsense, none of this is your fault. You just stay safe, and we'll have Saizou taken care of as soon as possible." Moka and I gave a final nod before saying our goodbyes and heading out.

"Peter?" Moka said shyly. "Tomorrow, do you think you could stick around when you can?"

"Of course," I answered. "I'll keep an eye on you whenever I can; if Saizou can't take no for an answer and decides he'll do what he wants anyway, he'll have to go through me."

And a symbiote ready to break his fingers. Though, to be fair, it was usually ready to do so. We still had to work on that. "Would you like me to walk you to your dorm?" I offered. I wasn't sure how close I could get to Moka's room, but I'd walk her as far as I could. Before I left Yōkai Academy, I had a job to do; protect Moka from Saizou. I stole a glance at her rosary.

 _Why can't she remove it herself? It would certainly be comforting to know that Moka could transform into her true form._

But the sad truth was that she couldn't. Moka was essentially defenseless against Saizou if he assumed his monster form, whatever that may be.

Moka nodded. "I would appreciate that, thank you." As promised, I proceeded to walk with Moka as far as I could. When we finally parted ways, I wished her a good night before heading off to my own dorm. That night, sleep came slowly as I was busy trying to figure out every angle of attack Saizou could take to get to Moka. If he attacked me, that would be fine; I had my spider-sense to warn me and a symbiote to back me up in a fight. Moka, however, would be a different story. I didn't share every class with her, so I wouldn't be there the whole day, and if Saizou had a chance to get to her before I could, Moka could be in serious danger.

When morning finally did come, I was up before the majority of the other students. By the time Moka walked out of the dorms, I was already there and waiting for her. She greeted me with another tackle-hug—something that I had yet to get accustomed to—and after prying the overly-affectionate vampire off me, Moka and I headed to Miss Nekonome's classroom for our first class.

And it was there that I had found Saizou Komiya, sitting in his seat with a lecherous grin and a dark look in his eye.

And it was three feet to his left that I currently sat.

"Now, in human culture, the mermaids have had many different portrayals," Miss Nekonome explained. "Some were shown to be beautiful women simply seeking a mate, while others—" I tuned her out as I noticed Saizou gazing at both Moka and I. More than once, I saw him lick his lips while looking at Moka, while his gaze would harden when he looked at me. He was planning something, I could feel it.

The rest of class went off without a hitch. When Miss Nekonome finally began to dismiss us, I saw her beckon Saizou over. As the jock gathered his junk, I walked by Miss Nekonome's desk with a questioning look and a quick gesture to Saizou. Miss Nekonome smiled. "I'll keep him occupied for a few minutes," she whispered. "Make sure Miss Akashiya makes it to her next class in one piece."

I nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' to her before following Moka out. When I walked through the door, I cast a side glance at the vampire to make sure she was alright. "Miss Nekonome is keeping Saizou busy for a bit, so we need to get you to your next class as soon as possible."

Moka smiled and gave a short nod as we walked. It wasn't long before we reached her class, and as she went to enter it, I gave her a small wave before turning and beginning the long walk toward my next class. As I walked, I thought about how I'd tell Aunt May that I dropped out of Yōkai Academy. What could I tell her? 'Hey Aunt May, you sent me to a school of monsters where an emotionally unstable vampire girl began to follow me around. I left because I would have been executed if they had found out I was human. How was your day?'

I shook my head. Those were questions I'd have to answer later; right now, I needed to get to class.

I made it to said class shortly before it started, narrowly avoiding being tardy on my second day. I took a seat next to a short, chubby student with a round face and his eyes glued to a dark-haired girl in the front of the room. I rolled my eyes at the pitiful display and tried to focus on the teacher's lesson. After class finally came to an end, the previous process was repeated: I went to Moka's class, walked her to her next one, and then proceeded to get to my own class—unless we shared one. Moka and I had been provided with Saizou's schedule by Miss Nekonome, allowing us to figure out where and when Saizou and Moka would have to be close. The schedules showed that Saizou shared three classes with her, two of which I was present for as well.

That meant Saizou had one class with Moka during which I wouldn't be there. If anything, that was probably the best time for him to make his move. Geography was the dreaded class, the one time of the day where Moka would have to sit in the same room as Saizou without me to stand between them. When the time came to drop her off at the class in question, I gave her a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder.

"You'll be fine. Sit far away from Saizou and make sure that you've got plenty of people around you when you leave. Don't let yourself get smothered by them, but make sure you're in view so that, if anything happens, people will see you," I told her.

Moka smiled and took a deep breath. "Alright, here goes nothing. Wish me luck," she said without losing that innocent smile. We went our own ways yet again, her to geography and I to science. Despite how much I enjoyed the lesson, I still couldn't completely focus, not until I knew Saizou had been taken care of, either by me or by the teachers.

The symbiote wanted it to be us. Saizou had grabbed it, after all, and he had tried to punch me. That was enough reason for the symbiote.

Science ended, and a quick look at my schedule told me that I had two classes left, neither of which I had with Moka. However, Saizou's last two classes didn't match up with Moka's either, so that meant that she'd at least have some free time from him. Who knew, maybe she'd meet someone who could fill my shoes when I left Yōkai?

I practically jogged to Moka's geography class and was glad to find her safe and sound, but with no sign of Saizou. Moka came out and greeted me with her trademark smile and a wave. "So," I began. "What happened to Saizou?"

Moka frowned. "He didn't show up. He was here for the past few classes that I've had with him, but now he's just gone. Where do you think he went?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea. Look, you've got two classes left to go; just get through those, and I can watch out for Saizou for the rest of the day. I'll be able to stick by you when schoolwork is out of the way."

I didn't like this. Saizou missing? That was bad news.

Moka's last two classes were science and math. Saizou would not be there with her, which brought a sense of comfort. I dropped Moka off at her science class and proceeded to make my way over to my math class. The lessons were easy, and with the symbiote's thoughts constantly floating into my head, I received more than a little help in math from my alien partner—not that I needed it. After we were dismissed, I speed walked to Moka's science class and wove through a small crowd of students on their way down the hall to their next destinations. When I finally got to the science room, there were a few students hanging around, and it took me a second to locate Moka.

"One more class," I told her with a smile as I walked up to the pink-haired vampire. She nodded excitedly as we began walking to her final class.

 _Come on Parker, one more class and then Moka doesn't leave your sight until the teachers have dealt with Saizou._

On that note, how did the teachers even plan on dealing with him? I doubted they'd expel him; they brought him here to try and discipline him, so sending him back out into the human world would be counterproductive. The thoughts of possible solutions to this problem continued running through my head as I dropped Moka off at her class, right up until I came to my final class. That hour was possibly the longest of my life, as I spent the entire time restlessly looking about.

Today had been calm, very calm. Saizou hadn't bothered making a move, but he clearly planned on it. It was very possible that he planned on confronting us after classes were over, but until I was able to confidently say that there was no risk of Saizou raping Moka—or anybody—I wouldn't truly relax.

I could feel the symbiote's anticipation as Saizou came to mind. It saw an obvious opponent in him, not because of his strength but because of his issue with me. The symbiote could see a fight between the two of us coming, and it was more than ready to engage.

I picked up Moka from her final class without any issues. She met me with a wide grin and another of her tackle-hugs. I was still trying to get used to those, especially since the first time she tried to do so, she was trying to sink her fangs into my neck.

"Peter!" she cried. "We made it! We've gotten through all our classes without incident!"

"That we did," I replied as I slowly peeled Moka's arms off my symbiote and I. The symbiote preferred not to be touched by others when it already had a host, so Moka's constant hugging was beginning to frustrate it. "But remember Moka; just because we made it through the school day doesn't mean that we're completely free. Saizou is still out there, and he hasn't been dealt with. We still need to be careful about what we do and where we go."

Moka nodded before I noticed her eyes slowly beginning to sink. I frowned at the sign of potential hunger. "Moka," began slowly. "If you're hungry, we need to get you some tomato juice. Want to go to the vending machine and grab some?"

"Sure," Moka said in a far away voice. I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake, snapping her out of her funk. She snapped awake and flushed when she realized her hunger was taking over again. On the walk to the vending machine, I had to keep an eye on both Moka and my surroundings. Moka because she might attack someone for blood, or be attacked, and the surroundings to make sure I saw Saizou as soon as possible if he decided to show up.

The sun was still up and there were plenty of students lounging about on the both the ground and the benches. Most of the male students would stop and openly gawk at Moka, some whispering to each other about things that I neither heard nor cared about. If they wanted to gossip like children, let them do so.

Agreement. The symbiote believed the surrounding creatures to be shallow, hormone-driven teenagers.

 _That's a bit harsh. I'm a teenager too, you know._

The symbiote's thoughts told me that it saw me in a different light. It believed me to be more mature than the others, due in no small part to the fact that the symbiote increased the amount of knowledge I could draw from. Essentially, we were two minds working as one to achieve similar things.

Moka and I made it to the vending machine fairly quickly, with her ordering herself a tomato juice while I decided I didn't need anything. We sat on the same bench as the one from the day before, and Moka slowly began sipping her drink of choice.

"Hey, Peter," she began. "I really do appreciate what you and Miss Nekonome are doing for me here. It's good to know there are people here that I can rely on."

Until we leave, the symbiote seemed to say. I resisted the urge to wince at that one.

"Don't mention it," I replied. "I've got your back for the time being."

Moka just smiled and went back to obliviously drinking her tomato juice. I sat there, lost in my own thoughts as well as those of my partner.

 _Hey, we still need an explanation to give Aunt May for dropping out of Yōkai. Any ideas?_

The symbiote practically shrugged as its thoughts of indecisiveness filled me. The symbiote wasn't sure what to go with when it came to a reason to give Aunt May for my sudden desire to leave Yōkai. We sat in silence for several minutes, watching as other students socialized and talked.

 _We need to find Moka a friend among all those people. Problem is, most of the guys are too busy staring to bother making a good impression. That leaves us with a large array of girls to choose to introduce Moka to. Symbiote, see anybody worth mentioning?_

Nothing, the symbiote seemed to say as I read its thoughts.

I was suddenly aware of a tingling sensation at the base of my skull. I dove forward, landing on all fours as a fist passed through the spot where my head had been seconds ago. Moka yelped as she saw what was happening and jumped up, scrambling away from the attacker. I grinned when I saw who had tried—and failed miserably—to hit me.

"Saizou," I began. "Missed you earlier today. Where were you?"

Saizou snorted and vaulted over the bench. "It's called skipping class. Then again, a nerd like you wouldn't bother skipping school. It's basically the only thing you have. Some of us, however, have better things to do than listen to an old person ramble on for hours at a time."

I shrugged. "Years from now when I'm sitting on a throne of cash with a good, stable job, I'll be sure to stop by the homeless shelter and give you a dollar or two."

Saizou's eyes narrowed. "Still the obnoxious smart-ass, ain't ya?"

"Obnoxious? That's a pretty big word for you," I replied with a chuckle. This was good; Saizou had attacked me, not Moka. This might mean that he didn't care as much about Moka as he did about getting revenge on me. If he was fixated on me, Moka would be safe from this pervert.

Saizou shook his head with barely contained rage as his fists clenched. "Man, I can't even begin to explain how amazing it will feel to shove your teeth down your throat," he said with a dark laugh.

Sadly, the symbiote was fantasizing about the same thing. Only it wasn't my throat that it wanted to cram the teeth down.

Saizou stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as he did so, an obviously fake grin on his face to help mask his fury. "What, no clever little quips this time?"

I paused. "Um, you're ugly and you smell bad?"

Saizou roared as he charged forward, his clothes ripping as his body suddenly swelled, easily doubling in size. I blinked as I leaned back in response to Saizou's sudden transformation before I jumped out of the way, watching as Saizou's fist slammed into the ground. Behind him, Moka was backpedaling back to avoid the behemoth of a student as he rose to his full height, his eyes settling on me once more.

" **You're dead Parker!** " he bellowed. " **Once I'm done pounding you into the dirt, I'll be taking that sweet piece of ass over there for a ride!** "

"Language, buddy!" I shouted as I landed on one of the many pillars in the area. All around us, students were panicking as they moved away from Saizou and I to avoid the fight. I had to get him away from these people, had to make sure he didn't hurt them. "So what are you supposed to be anyway?"

" **I'm an orc!"** he proudly proclaimed as his fist smashed through the pillar that I was sticking to. I shot off the crumbling structure, shooting a web line towards one of the Academy's towers. I swung up to a high point on the wall, looking down at Saizou as he roared up at me. " **Get back here Parker!** "

"As you wish," I muttered before diving off the wall, flying straight at Saizou. Two massive hands came up to grab me, but a quick flick of the wrist and a web line had attached itself to Saizou's right wrist. I swung around his arm and slammed my feet into his face while using the momentum gained from the swing to pull his body along in the same direction of the kick. Saizou was lifted off the ground and flew backwards before landing in a heap with a grunt.

I landed on his chest, kneeling and placing an elbow on my knee to prop my head up. "Boy, you're not very good at this, are you?" Saizou's lower jaw dropped and my spider-sense went ablaze as a long tongue shot out. I stretched out of the way as it passed my side, narrowly missing my school uniform. I jumped off Saizou's chest, shooting two web lines on either side of his head before yanking down on them, sending myself rocketing at my opponent's forehead.

I slammed into him hard enough to cause his eyes to momentarily roll back, and for a second, I had hoped that he was unconscious, but the eyes suddenly snapped back into place, a look of absolute fury present in them. A wordless roar tore past Saizou's lips as his arms came up to grab me. I was off his head and some distance away by the time his hands clamped shut around empty air over his face. Saizou hauled himself to his feet, completely ignoring the students that were watching from afar.

Alright big guy, let's go for a walk.

The symbiote wriggled in excitement. It was enjoying this.

"Come on, Saizou!" I shouted to gain his attention and anger. "It this all you've got?! All that tough talk and this is what you bring to the table?! I've met humans who have put up a better fight!"

Not a lie. I had met plenty of humans who could mop the floor with this guy. I only neglected to mention that they had powers.

" **PARKER!** "

Saizou charged after me, arms outstretched as he stomped across the school yard. I leapt out of his path, shooting a web line towards the school as I swung away. It was an odd feeling, swinging around without the mask or the suit, but this was Japan; the only superheroes and supervillains from America that they could know about were the ones that had become international sensations in the past few years. With all the people with powers that have been popping up over the United States, people only really began to care if the superhero or supervillain was in their hometown. A guy like me who had only been around for roughly a year would only be known in New York and maybe a few places nearby.

Besides, these monsters would have very little focus on the human world to go along with their limited knowledge of the humans with powers that hailed from America.

I began to web swing to the best of my ability in the given environment as I led Saizou into the woods surrounding Yōkai Academy. I glanced over my shoulder repeatedly to make sure he was still following me, and sure enough, Saizou continued the pursuit.

" **Running won't save you!** "

"And size won't protect you!" I retorted. My clothing shimmered as black tendrils danced across my limbs. The symbiote wanted out, it wanted to become more involved in the fight. I could feel its emotions, its excitement and lust for battle as the situation quickly spiraled towards the inevitable beatdown Saizou would be receiving.

Maybe I could put on the suit? Not like anybody would recognize me here…

Agreement. The symbiote's enthusiasm for us to fight as Spider-Man was almost overwhelming.

Saizou was still chasing after me, yelling nonsense about crushing me and making Moka his.

I had done my research; Japan knew almost nothing about Spider-Man, and these monsters seemed to want to avoid America like the plague, given that it was home to the majority of the known superheroes and supervillains that currently walked the earth, so the chances of them actively watching American news or reading American articles was low.

In other words, I could probably put on the suit, reap the benefits of having the symbiote layered around me, and mop the floor with Saizou all without anybody batting an eye.

Saizou was crushing trees behind me as I moved through the forest with a combination of web swinging and jumping. I could hear his heavy footsteps while the symbiote's pitch black tendrils swirled around my body in excitement. The urge to let my partner envelop me was growing stronger with each passing second.

I shot a web line at a large branch overhead, using it to swing forward and over the branch until I landed on it. Saizou came charging through below me before stopping and looking around. " **Hiding now?! I should have figured that a wimp like you would run and hide! Coward, you don't deserve Moka!** " The symbiote was beginning to change as it wrapped itself around me. My hands were already covered in the black substance.

" **I'm going to make that woman mine, and that's why you've gotta die!** "

 _He plans on killing me?_

My uniform began fading as my chest and arms were enveloped in the black suit. My pants wriggled and shimmered as they changed into a skintight black covering. I grinned as the symbiote's dark tendrils crept along my head and cheeks, forming the mask that had become more or less my second face over the last year.

Putting the suit on may have been risky, but boy did it feel _good_.

Saizou was still below me, his head swiveling in all directions as he searched for yours truly. I attached a new web line to the branch and hung upside down from it, slowly lowering myself until I was directly behind Saizou's head. He was still senselessly shouting into the forest, calling my name and trying to find me. I smirked as I reached out with my foot, tapping Saizou on the top of his head. He stiffened and slowly turned around, coming face to face with me.

Saizou eyed me with surprise before a smile slowly worked its way onto his face. " **Parker? Is this it? Your true form?** " Saizou burst out laughing. " **This is pathetic! You don't even have an aura!** **You—** " His sentence was cut off as my foot slammed into his nose with a crunch, sending him tumbling backwards as he clutched his face, roaring in pain.

I jumped to the ground as I craned my neck. "This ends here, Saizou," I said as I began walking over to him. "You're not touching Moka unless you do it with her permission, and so far, you don't have it."

Saizou slowly began rising to his feet, his eyes burning with rage. Blood flowed from his broken nose, rolling down over his lips and chin. He wiped it off with the back of his armored fist before glancing at the red fluid he had removed from his face. He looked back at me with a snarl. " **You know, I was going to make it quick, but now that you've made it to the top of my shit list, I'm going to make sure this hurts as much as possible** ," he hissed. " **By the time I'm done with you, you'll regret not backing down when I gave you the chance!** "

A loud bellow escaped his throat as he charged at me, setting off my spider-sense. I stood still, watching as the titan rapidly approached me. The symbiote was analyzing his every move and quickly feeding me information on how to beat him, and within a few seconds, we had cooked up a fairly decent plan of attack.

I shot a pair of web lines at Saizou's feet, each attaching itself to one leg. He looked down with surprise, only to have me violently yank his feet out from under him. Saizou shouted as he lost his balance, landing flat on his back. I jumped into the air, sending a steady stream of webbing at my opponent as I pinned him to the ground under layers of the adhesive white substance.

I landed on Saizou's head, causing him to snarl angrily as he struggled against the webbing. I planted my foot just below his eye and watched as he twitched in discomfort. "This is your one and only chance Saizou," I began. "Give up, and come quietly."

Despite the symbiote urging me to savagely beat this rapist, I stood still, offering him a chance for a peaceful surrender. Saizou snorted beneath me. " **What, you don't have the spine to fight me, so you try and get me to surrender? Your mind games won't work on me, Parker!** "

I frowned and shifted my foot until it hovered over his broken nose. "You have a record of sexual assault," I growled. "You threatened me, you attacked me, and you just admitted to wanting to kill me. I have every reason to want to beat you until you're nothing more than a bad memory, but…"

I moved my foot away from his nose. "I'm giving you a chance to put this behind us. I'm giving you a chance to deal with the teachers instead of being physically injured. Do us both a favor and take it."

Saizou roared as his struggling increased. I snapped to attention when I heard the sound of my webbing giving away, and within seconds, I was leaping off Saizou as he tore through his restraints. " **I'm going to rip you in half!** " he shrieked while scrambling to his feet.

 _He's not giving up…_

I could feel the symbiote's emotions as it urged me to actively fight back.

"Can't say I didn't warn you," I muttered. The symbiote's excitement filled me as it realized that we would be entering combat again. "Well come on then!" I shouted at the orc in question. "Show us what you've got!" Saizou was practically steaming as he barreled towards me, lowering his shoulder in the process. How he planned on actually hitting me though, I didn't know.

Rather than dodging, I began running at Saizou. I could see a hint of surprise on his face at my approach, but it was quickly replaced with a confident smirk as he pushed himself all the harder to reach me. As we sprinted towards each other, I slid across the ground, passing through Saizou's legs. Before he could halt his charge, I shot a web line into his back and yanked myself up and landed between his shoulders. Planting my hands on the top of his head, I swung over the top of his body and slammed my knee into his left eye.

 _And now, my opponent is half blind._

Saizou roared in agony, violently swatting his hands through the air as he tried to hit me. I bounced off his head, landing next to his right leg. A quick kick to the back of his knee forced him down to the ground as his leg bent underneath him, and a jab to the throat left him coughing and gasping for air. I landed in front of Saizou's kneeling form, watching as the rapist clutched at his face and neck.

Webbing exited my wrists in a steady stream, engulfing Saizou in a cocoon and binding him in place. A low, pained growl sounded from his throat as his good eye looked up to meet my gaze. I walked forward, standing directly in front of Saizou's head as he glared at me. "I gave you a chance," I began. "You brought this upon yourself. Change back into your human form, I don't have time to beat you into unconsciousness."

Saizou hissed at me.

" **Fuck you.** "

I exhaled loudly. "Take your human form," I threatened. "I'm not asking a third time."

I could see the smug look on Saizou's face despite his swollen eye. I shook my head and stepped forward, my left hand grabbing Saizou by the chin as I tilted his head up while I cocked my right hand back. "Fine then, be that way."

Why did the bad guys always refuse to come quietly? I couldn't leave him here while I went to get a teacher, so it looked like I'd be dragging his unconscious form back to Yōkai. His eyes widened as he saw my fist preparing to meet his face.

"S-Saizou?" I snapped up at the sound of a familiar, feminine voice. My hands dropped to my sides, releasing the orc's chin in the process.

What was she doing here? She shouldn't have followed us!

I stepped around Saizou to see Moka staring at his back from amidst the many trees surrounding us. Her gaze shifted towards me, and the moment it did, her eyes widened in fear. "What the…" she whispered. I stepped past the kneeling monster, getting slightly closer to Moka while she stepped back. She looked at Saizou, bound and tied with layers of webbing before turning back to me as her eyes showed a sense of realization. "Peter?" she asked unsurely.

It was funny how it took this girl a few seconds to make a connection that an entire city still couldn't make after a year of trying.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "You knew it wasn't safe for you to be around Saizou, and yet you followed us here. You put yourself at risk."

Moka flinched. "I wanted to make sure you were alright," she said while rubbing the back of her head. "Saizou chased you into the forest—"

"I led him here," I interrupted. "I was trying to get him away from the other students and the school to make sure he didn't hurt anybody else."

Moka shuffled awkwardly as her gaze lowered to the ground. "Oh…"

I sighed beneath the mask. "Your concern is appreciated, though."

Moka slowly looked back at me, her eyes roaming across me in curiosity. The fear, however, was still present on her face. "What are you?" she asked. "What is this?"

"The primary concern is getting Saizou to the teachers," I said, completely ignoring her question. "We can talk after he's been taken to the teachers and properly dealt with."

Moka hesitated before nodding slowly. It was then that I noticed Saizou's body was shaking as he struggled.

" **You think you're so cool, don't you?** " he choked out. I noticed Moka flinch at his distorted voice. " **You think you're all that, that this measly display of power makes you the king of Yōkai Academy.** "

I groaned. "Oh put a sock in it already."

A dark chuckle escaped the trapped orc. " **I don't take orders from a pipsqueak like** _ **you**_ **. And if you think I'm going to roll over for you, you've got another thing coming.** "

Warning flags went off in my head as Saizou began rising, even if the webbing still held strong. I instinctively put myself between Moka and the rising monster that was now slowly turning to face us. A twisted grin appeared on his face, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

" **And if I can't have Moka, NEITHER CAN YOU!** " he roared as he charged at us.

"Moka, get back!" I shouted as I moved to intercept Saizou. What I didn't expect, however, was a long, pink tongue to shoot out past his lips and fly straight past me. I whirled around to see it wrapping around Moka's leg. She screamed as she was lifted into the air while Saizou's jaw dropped, showing off his sharp teeth once more as his tongue yanked Moka toward his gaping maw.

"NO!" I shouted as I jumped, sailing through the air with outstretched arms towards Moka. Time seemed to slow as I crashed into her in midair, wrapping my arms around her and yanking her out of Saizou's grip. Suddenly, a brilliant pink light erupted from my arms, and I looked down to find a shocked Moka staring back at me.

I inhaled sharply as I noticed something off about the choker around Moka's neck. A quick glance at my hand told me everything I needed to know in order to understand what was happening.

Moka's rosary sat in the palm of my hand.

 **A/N:** _This chapter underwent four rewrites._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Putting on the Suit:** _I understand that Peter makes every attempt to hide his true identity, but having him play the role of the masked hero in a school whose number one rule is to remain in human form made little sense. Couple this with the fact that this symbiote has a different set of negative side effects, and the idea of addiction was born. This symbiote is an addictive substance, and months of putting on the black suit has left Peter addicted to it. Putting it on isn't like putting on a new set of clothing, it's something that Peter constantly wants to do because of the symbiote's influence and because of his dependence on it. He tries to fight the desire, but here in Japan, where putting on the suit in broad daylight had almost not repercussions, the urge to do so was too strong._

 **Violent Peter?:** _Spider-Man 3, as well as some of the Spider-Man cartoons have shown that Peter can get pretty violent, both with and without the black suit. Black suited Spider-Man is obviously the more violent of the two, but when wearing the red suit, Peter has still done some questionable things. For example, in the Spectacular Spider-Man, Peter, while in the red and blue suit, hit Tombstone in the head with a chunk of stone hard enough to shatter it (the stone, not Tombstone's head). A kick to the eye or a broken nose doesn't seem as bad as hitting someone with a rock with enough force to shatter the average human skull._

 **Lack of Rage:** _So far, Peter hasn't been nearly as aggressive as some of the other black suited Spider-Man portrayals. You may have noticed that he hasn't gone into any fits of rage during a fight like he sometimes did while under the influence of the black suit because in this story, Peter may be more prone to getting angry because of the symbiote, but he won't just get angry by fighting. If something is actively pissing him off during a fight, then he'll begin getting angry. However, you won't see him going into rage mode or anything just by entering combat. He might do it, but something has to set him off._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thank you._

 **SilentAngel33:** _Yes, but the black suit provides Spider-Man with organic webbing, so that eliminates the need to use web shooters. As for vampires and Spider-Man's blood; my main reference source for that was Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which showed that Morbius attempted to drink Peter's blood, regardless of the fact that it was radioactive. Moka attempted to do the same, but based entirely on the smell. That doesn't imply that his blood tastes good or is even healthy for Moka._

 **DruidFWY:** _Good to know that I don't give off an "amateur-ish" vibe. Also glad to hear that my version of Peter is more acceptable than some of the other versions of him. As for Venom, I'm still not entirely sure if I'm going to incorporate him. I have a scenario in my head that I think can bring him in seamlessly, but as usual, nothing is set in stone yet._

 **deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover:** _(This is a response to both of your reviews)You're welcome! Right now, I don't have any plans of Peter forcibly making himself more monstrous to avoid resembling Spider-Man. Yes, putting Peter in the newspaper club does indeed make perfect sense!_

 **I Be Random:** _It's good to hear that you like it, and thank you._

 **Darkus and Z:** _I will most certainly try._

 **seem14:** _I am incredibly happy to hear that you're enjoying it! Now, Peter is obviously still striving to be the hero, and the symbiote still has a far darker nature than he does. So right now, one could say that Peter is trying to teach the symbiote to use its power for good, but I'll let the story do the talking when it comes to that._

 **Clarke-Sensei:** _Let me start off by saying that I'm extremely happy to hear that you like my work. I know I've said this to other reviewers, but I mean it every time. Now then, on the topic of Peter's blood: I totally see where you're coming from, but my thought process here is that Moka smelled Peter and became hungry based entirely off of his scent. Just because something smells good doesn't imply that it tastes good or is even edible._

 **Kharn:** _What you described sounds very similar to a rage mode type state of mind—or in more realistic terms; an insane adrenaline rush that sees the symbiote making massive changes to the host's body. Believe it or not, I actually had a very similar idea to what you are talking about, and I've been looking for a way to incorporate it into this story. It's not set in stone yet, but I'm exploring the possibilities._

 **Arachnophile801:** _Did I say that in Chapter 1? Could you point it out? If anything, it's a typo, because when I began going over the idea for this story, I know that I planned on making Peter 16 with a year's worth of experience as Spider-Man, which puts him at 15 when Uncle Ben died. On the topic of symbiote lore, I actually knew about the Venom symbiote wanting a mutual bond, rather than just taking over the host. It was quite a shock to find that Venom was once a good guy in some of the older storylines, but hey; ideas change, and Venom became the villain, and now he's an antihero. Now then, as for this "he" Peter referred to; it was actually Spider-Man. I assume you were looking at this quote when the question came to mind: "We'll have to wait a bit before going out and being Spider-Man to make sure he doesn't reappear on the streets just as we return, but we'll be home soon."In this instance, Spider-Man is "he". What Peter meant was that it would be risky to have Spider-Man take to the streets just as Peter and the symbiote return to New York, as that would raise suspicion. Sorry if I got your hopes up though. When it comes to Inner Moka vs. Spider-Man, I've honestly asked myself many times how that would go. I'm well aware that many sources point to Spidey being able to lift ten tons, and I'm aware that he holds back to avoid murdering normal human criminals, and I've read that the symbiote allowed him to lift thirteen tons, but I haven't confirmed that (there's a lot of different statistics around the physical strength of characters like Venom, Anti-Venom, Toxin, Carnage, etc., but nothing concrete). Point is; Spider-Man has a massive amount of physical strength, more than a lot of people realize. Inner Moka may or may not have the edge in physical strength, but that's not all that matters in a fight. Spider-Man has defeated opponents who were stronger and/or faster than him. As long as he's fast enough to react to the spider-sense's warnings, he's usually capable of fighting off anything that comes his way. On the offensive side of the fight, Spider-Man can really pack a punch. If he decked Inner Moka across the face with all his strength, she'd feel it. The question would be if she could subdue and damage him enough before his constant attacks wore her out. Now, about that out-of-control Venom vs. Inner Moka idea; I like it, I really do. I've actually been thinking of a way to incorporate a scenario in which the symbiote fights Inner Moka, but the approach I had in mind was very different from what you suggested. I find it interesting that Peter almost killed this Sin-Eater guy. I've never heard of that particular fight, but it would make sense; there have been a few situations that I know of in which Peter—while in the red and blue suit—lost his temper._

 **-Chapter 4: Inner Vampire-**

The symbiote's tendrils shot from my arms, shoving Moka away from us and allowing her to fall to the ground. I would have tried firing web lines after her, but I was too busy shielding my face from the absolutely blinding light that was engulfing us.

My spider-sense was calm, which meant that there was no immediate danger to me, but the symbiote was going absolutely insane. Whatever Moka was transforming into, it was making a spectacular scene of it.

I could hear a strange series of chirping and squeaking sounds, and it took me a moment to recognize them as bats. The piercing light soon died down, and when I finally lowered my arms, my jaw dropped.

The sky was _red_ and the moon was now of a similar color to the light that had erupted from Moka's body. Had Moka caused this? The human world would be in a mass panic, and it might have very well been my fault for pulling off the rosary. Could the humans see this? Was the sky red in the rest of the world?

 _No.._. _it defies all logic, there's no way the entire world could be experiencing this. Moka wasn't born with the rosary on, so at one point in time, she was always like this. If the sky is always red with her around, people would have noticed ages ago._

It was possible that only this area—Yōkai Academy—was affected. The barrier surrounding the school might be holding everything in, or this could have been an entirely different plane of existence.

My mind lurched at the thought. For all I knew, Yōkai Academy existed in a pocket dimension with its own moon, sun, and sky. As unlikely as that sounded, I simply couldn't believe that this transformation had bathed the vast expanse that is the sky red.

Saizou stood still not far from me, staring slack-jawed at a dark figured standing some distance in front of us. What looked like bats were plastered to a feminine body, completely engulfing the mysterious figure in a dark suit.

Next to me, Saizou was trembling. **"The hell is this?"** he whispered. **"This-this** _ **energy**_ **; it's** _ **insane**_ **. This isn't the same Moka, it can't be!"**

A bat slowly peeled away from the figure's leg. One proceeded to fall away from her face, revealing a blood-red eye with a thin slit for a pupil. Suddenly, without warning, all the bats exploded into action, flittering away from the body that they had encompassed moments ago. The symbiote had calmed down considerably and was now carefully analyzing this newcomer.

The only resemblance to Moka, save for the gender, was the fact that this female wore the same clothing as she did. But that was where the similarities ended. Long silver haired flowed behind this taller, more mature being. She was far closer to me in height than the pink-haired girl I knew, and she looked as though was older, with a more developed body to go along with the added height.

Long claws extended from the pale hands, and a look of sheer confidence displayed a very different character than the Moka I was used to.

 **"Oh no,"** Saizou muttered. **"That hair, those eyes, that crazy energy…there's no mistake, she's an S-Class monster, a vampire!"**

S-Class? What the heck was S-Class supposed to be? It sounded like something with a powerful reputation from the way Saizou had said it.

Moka—or whoever this was—let out a loud yawn before stretching her hands out over her head. She jogged in place for a bit as though she were testing her own body to make sure it fit before her eyes settled on Saizou.

"So," she began in a deeper, almost royal voice that was filled to the brim with pride. "You're the one who caused all this."She looked Saizou up and down before snorting. "How appropriate; the rapist is tied up, beaten, and trembling. How many victims of yours have ever been in that position?"

Saizou stared at the ground, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. The symbiote and I stood back, watching patiently, but keeping our guard up.

"To be honest," Moka continued, shutting her eyes and smirking. "I couldn't have thought of a more fitting look for you. As far as I can see…" Her fists suddenly clenched and her eyes shot open, burning with anger. "The only problem with this picture is that you're still standing. A disgusting worm belongs in the dirt, not walking among its betters."

Saizou only shook his head. **"Come on man,"** he whispered to himself. **"She's not invincible, and if I took her out, I'd be a legend…"**

'Moka' slowly approached Saizou. Even the way she moved was different. Gone was the child-like bounce to her step, now replaced with a slow, sensuous walk and swaying hips. She closed the distance between her and Saizou faster than he seemed to like. I could see him trying to force through the webbing that still held him, and Moka watched him in his moment of weakness.

The symbiote was oddly calm. Usually, when we would encounter a new opponent, the symbiote would become excited at the idea of something new to fight. To it, every adversary was an obstacle, something to defeat and to prove our superiority over. The symbiote's home was in the heat of battle, and it usually made no move to hide its glee at the idea of a new fighter to defeat. However, at the moment, my partner was so engrossed in studying Moka that it completely ignored the usual feelings that came with finding a powerful opponent. This kind of reaction was only reserved for the best, most dangerous opponents, and the symbiote clearly counted Moka as someone worth a careful analysis.

 _Very_ few people had ever received this sort of treatment from my symbiote. Among them were the likes of the Green Goblin and Tombstone.

"I believe that the worm needs to learn his place," Moka announced. Her fist suddenly shot forward, slamming into Saizou's gut. The orc's mouth flew wide open, a trail of spit leaving it and splattering on the ground at Moka's feet. The attack actually lifted Saizou's body off the ground, and he now hung awkwardly over Moka, balancing on the fist that had been driven into his midsection.

I could tell that the force behind the attack was staggering, and so could the symbiote.

None of us moved for several seconds. Then, Moka abruptly withdrew her hand, and Saizou fell forward, landing on Moka's shoulder and hanging off her awkwardly. The vampire stared straight ahead, showing absolutely no reaction to the defeated orc hanging off her. Finally, she stepped away, watching as Saizou collapsed to the ground. Moka stared at the motionless body for several seconds, scoffing slightly in distaste.

And then the red orbs turned to me.

The symbiote hugged itself slightly closer to me, not out of fear, but in preparation for whatever could possibly come next. It was using every ounce of information we had learned about Moka up until this point, and the most prominent thing in its mind was the fact that Moka seemed to show an extreme fear of water.

If this silver-haired female turned out to be a threat, the blood-red ocean wasn't far from here.

Moka slowly began moving towards me, walking with the same confident sway as she approached. The symbiote and I remained in a relaxed state, but both of us were ready for the slightest warning from the spider-sense. Moka continued moving until she was beginning to get a little too close for comfort. I had no clue how fast she truly was, but if she was within arm's reach, she might be able to hit me before I could move.

I was confident in my speed, but I wasn't stupid. With an opponent like this, taking risks was a rookie mistake that I had no intention of making.

"That's close enough," I called, causing the vampire to freeze. She looked me up and down before putting a hand on her hip and smirking.

"What, do I frighten you?" she asked smugly. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"I've met worse," I retorted. This got a new reaction from her: a raised eyebrow. "And those meetings have taught me not to let a powerful opponent get too close if I don't know their motives."

"Worse than me?" Moka asked skeptically. "You have met more powerful beings? Other vampires, perhaps?"

I smiled beneath the mask. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Moka blinked before shutting her eyes and smirking again. "An interesting response. Peculiar, but interesting." The red eyes slowly opened once more. "In fact, a lot of things about you are peculiar." Moka's stance changed as she crossed her arms. "For one, you lack an aura, yet you beat that disgusting orc over there without sustaining any visible damage, and you are strangely calm in the face of an S-Class monster."

There was that term again. What did it mean?

"And it's obvious that you don't know whether I'm an enemy or a friend," Moka continued. "So the calm attitude can't be attributed to believing that I won't attack, nor can it be explained with the idea that someone will protect you; there's nobody else here. That leaves us with a single logical conclusion: you are confident in your ability to defend yourself."

This Moka was infinitely more perceptive than her pink-haired counterpart. Was this really the same person, or was there something else at work here?

The symbiote was inclined to believe that this was some sort of other half to Moka—like the other side of the same coin—or that the transformation had an even greater effect on her mind than on her body.

"And then there's your form all together," Moka pointed out while gesturing to me. "You seem to have the powers of a spider-like monster, and yet you don't resemble a spider in the slightest. The only thing about your appearance that can be compared to such a creature is the tattoo on your chest, but that doesn't really count, now does it? So both your aura and your form make no sense."

Moka grinned. "But of course, that pales in comparison to your scent."

There was no way she had gathered all this information on me in the few short minutes that she had been here. She must have been observing me some other way; perhaps through the other Moka's eyes, ears, and nose?

"Your scent has a vague similarity to that of a human's," she continued. "But there's something else, something…something _indescribable_. And then it feels as though it's being masked, as though a second scent it covering the last. This new one smells so… _alien_."

Then that was probably the alien.

"I must say, I can see why the other Moka was so drawn to you at first; you smell so exotic," said the silver-haired vampire. "I can only imagine what your blood tastes like," she continued while licking her lips.

"Well, you'll have to keep imagining," I began. "Because you're not getting any of it."

Moka grinned at me. "Was that a challenge?"

"It was a statement," I replied. "I'm not an all-you-can-eat buffet for you." I held up the rosary that was still sitting in my hand. "Might want to put it back on," I suggested as I tossed Moka the trinket. The silver-haired vampire raised an eyebrow at me as she caught her jewelry.

"Are you ordering me around?" she asked with a frown.

I jerked my thumb up to the sky. "That's not what I would call 'inconspicuous'," I explained. "I can only pray that this isn't visible from the human world because if the rest of the world's sky and moon are like this, there's going to be a lot of problems."

Moka snorted. "The human world is fine," she said while twirling the rosary around her fingers. "So...what are you, Peter? You haven't answered that yet."

I frowned. "And I don't plan to. Your curiosity is not my primary concern."

Staying alive was much higher on the list.

The rosary stopped twirling. Moka's eyes slowly narrowed and her lips pulled back, revealing canines that were clearly longer than they were before the transformation. "I do not appreciate this attitude of yours," she began in a threatening tone. "Now I asked you a question, and I expect an answer. What are you?"

The symbiote's calm attitude was slowly being replaced by anger. It was a proud creature, and having someone try to treat it like it was inferior did _not_ sit well with it. Or with me, for that matter.

I leaned forward slightly. "Understanding that you won't get everything you ask for is an important skill to have. I suggest you hurry up and learn to take 'no' for an answer."

The red eyes widened, and I could see Moka's fist clenching. The tension in the air increased, and for a second, I was sure she was going to attack, but to my utter surprise, she did something that went against everything that her attitude had revealed so far: she smiled at my words.

" _Oh_ ," she whispered. "I see now." She let out a low chuckle. "I was wondering who in their right mind would defy an S-Class monster after seeing her fight, or why you would step up and talk back to me despite what you witnessed, but now it makes sense."

The heck was she talking about?

Moka's eyes scanned me over once more. "The only one who would defy an S-Class monster after seeing her in combat is…another S-Class monster." Her smile widened. "That's what you are, aren't you? An S-Class monster, one that I haven't heard of before. You told my other half that you came from America, so I can only assume you're of a species native to that area."

I didn't answer her. I couldn't. I had no clue what an S-Class monster was supposed to be, and marking myself as one of them might prove to be a fatal mistake, but telling her that I wasn't such a monster could cause her to start shooting questions again, questions that might lead her to my human nature. She didn't think I was human, so I had a way to draw away her suspicion.

"Well," began the silver-haired vampire. "This is certainly a surprise. I didn't expect something like this." She flipped her hair over her shoulder before locking eyes with me. I immediately noticed that they held a newfound respect, as though she considered me part of her little S-Class club. Whatever the title meant, it was obviously of significance to this Moka.

"I have to say," she continued. "I'm more curious than ever to know what you are…"

I sighed. I had to find a way to end this conversation before it escalated into something else. I had a few choices: I could fight this vampire and force her to back off, or I could make up some sort of story. However, making up a web of lies right now would mean I'd have to support those lies until I could leave Yōkai, and I didn't know how long that would take.

There was, however, a third option. One that didn't involved lies or violence.

Despite the symbiote's warnings and protests, I stepped forward. "Moka—may I call you that?" She nodded. "Moka, I have been kind to your other half and have not been hostile towards you. I have not threatened you, nor have I attempted to attack; on the contrary, I've been trying to avoid a fight. Despite this transformation, the other Moka must still be there somewhere, and I don't want to fight you, not when I know that I befriended your other half."

Moka gave me a quizzing look as I took a breath before continuing. "I didn't come here to cause trouble, I came here for an education, and whatever class of monster I may be doesn't change that. I don't know what first impression you may have of me, but I haven't pressed either half of you to reveal information that you weren't comfortable revealing. Since we clarified the issue with your other half trying to feed off me, I've been nothing but kind to you."

"What's your point?" Moka interjected.

"My _point_ is that I'd like some courtesy," I snapped. "I have the right to keep my nature to myself. You, on the other hand, have no business forcing me to tell you anything."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm willing to make peace, but not if I have to let you walk all over me and take what you want by force. If you think I'm going to roll over for you like Saizou did, you're as wrong as he was in assuming he could beat me. However, we don't have to be enemies; just respect my decision here. I looked past the other Moka's nature and ignored the fact that she tried sucking my blood—I took a leap of faith and gave her the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to see some similar treatment in return."

Silence followed my little speech. The symbiote was ready for action—as was I—but Moka merely stood there, watching me with those predatory red eyes of hers. Finally, she sighed. "With every word that comes out of your mouth, I find myself all the more eager to discover your true nature." Her shoulders shook gently as she laughed. "However, you are right; you have been kind to my other half. I suppose I can respect your wishes. Very well then, I won't press you for information."

Moka lifted the rosary to her neck, the confident smirk finding its way onto her face again. "But mark my words, I'll find out what you are. You'll tell me eventually, or perhaps I'll find out myself." Her hand drifted to the choker as she prepared to put the rosary back on. However, she stopped and looked up. "Oh, and Peter, keep an eye on my other half, would you? She can be incredibly naïve and vulnerable at times. It'd be awkward if she were to die."

The symbiote's thoughts were what I could compare to a growl of sorts. We weren't babysitters, and it didn't like the idea of us watching over someone twenty four-seven.

"I'm not sure how long my stay at Yōkai Academy will last," I admitted. "But I can watch over her until I leave." And until I can get her a dependable friend to watch over her in my absence.

I gave the silver-haired vampire a nod, which she returned.

"Goodbye, Peter Parker," she muttered. "We will meet again soon."

I gave her a mock salute. "Adios." The rosary was clipped back into its original position, and Moka's body suddenly leaned forward as it began falling. I rushed to her, grabbing her shrinking form before she could hit the ground. The silver was fading from her hair, replaced by the bubblegum pink color from before. She was shorter now too, and her face looked softer.

The Moka I knew had returned. The sky and moon were also returning to normal, and after a few seconds, it was as though nothing had happened. Moka was lying in my arms, Saizou's unconscious body was sprawled out on the ground, and silence reigned supreme once more. I sat there with the vampire for roughly a minute, wondering what exactly had just happened. It was all so…so _strange_.

Agreement.

The symbiote's attitude towards the situation was similar to my own, except for the fact that Moka—the silver-haired one—had stepped on my partner's tail, so to speak.

 _Nobody_ pushed it around. I'd have to make sure the symbiote was calmed. I didn't need to make an enemy of someone who could be a friend.

I had begun to wonder how to handle the rest of this situation when Moka finally stirred, her eyes slowly fluttering open and looking up at me. They suddenly widened as the girl shot up, gasping for breath and frantically looking around. I relinquished my hold on her and let her get her bearings. Eventually, she turned to me, her eyes looking over the black suit that I still wore.

Moka's mouth opened slightly as she looked at me, and for a second, I thought she was going to give into her urges and try to bite me, but her eyes lacked the deep hunger and the unfocused gaze. "An S-Class monster," she breathed. "You're an S-Class monster, just like a vampire…"

There it was again. The amount of respect that the title seemed to warrant meant that it had a lot of weight to it. I needed to figure out what it meant. At the same time, I needed to find out how much Moka had overheard.

"How exactly do you figure that?" I asked.

"Um, well, because of my connection to the other Moka, I can sort of perceive what's going on around her," Moka explained. "I overheard part of your conversation."

I nodded slowly. At least now I knew how Moka had heard what was said. A few seconds of silence passed before I spoke up. "We should take this to the teachers," I mumbled. "The sooner Saizou is dealt with properly, the sooner we can all rest in peace."

And the sooner the symbiote and I can leave.

"And we should also get him to the infirmary," I added. "He might be seriously injured, and as much as I dislike him, leaving him here to suffer is too much." I stood up, extending a hand to Moka as I did so. "Come on, we should get moving."

She grasped my hand and I pulled her to her feet before walking over to Saizou. Judging by his size, his weight should still be well within manageable parameters. I placed my hands on my hips and looked over the downed orc once more.

"So…how are we going to get him back to the school?" Moka asked unsurely. "He's still in his monster form and everything."

"Simple," I replied before stepping forward and placing my hands beneath Saizou's side. "We carry him." With that comment, I hoisted Saizou into the air above my head, holding him steady. He wasn't that much heavier than Rhino, and I found that I could carry him rather comfortably with one arm.

 _Thank you, sticky fingers, for making this guy so much easier to keep steady._

I felt a bit of frustration from my partner.

 _And thank you, symbiote, for making this guy so much easier to lift._

I noticed Moka gaping at me, and for a second, her rosary flashed red—the same kind of red as the other Moka's eyes. Was her counterpart watching me from within the rosary? I was about to smile at them to see their reactions, but I remembered that I still had the mask covering my face.

Actually, the rest of the suit was still on as well. I looked down at the black suit covering my body and, with a sigh, realized that it was time to take it off. I could feel the symbiote's depressed thoughts as well, and I knew that it wanted to stay this way for longer.

 _Sorry pal, we can't go walking around like this. We're technically breaking the number one rule, so the black suit has to go for now._

The symbiote's thoughts were the mental equivalent of a sigh as it receded and once again assumed the shape of the school uniform. While the symbiote may have still been here with me, it just wasn't the same as putting on the black suit itself. No matter what form the symbiote took, it could never bring the satisfaction that came with wearing the dark version of my Spider-Man costume.

It just never _felt_ the same.

Moka's mouth moved in disbelief as she watched me begin to casually walk while carrying Saizou. I turned to her and raised an eyebrow while grinning. "What? Your other half turns the sky red, but a small show of physical strength and you're in shock?" Moka shook her head as though to snap out of whatever thoughts were occupying her mind.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to just…lift him," she said as she stared at my arm. I only chuckled before beginning the walk to the school. I spared a glance at the orc I was carrying and frowned.

Explaining why I was carrying an unconscious and wounded Saizou might prove problematic.

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Lifting Saizou:** _Before anybody goes and tells me it's impossible, just hear me out; multiple sources—one of which was a reviewer—say that Spider-Man (without the black suit) can lift ten tons. Now, that right there is a lot of weight, probably enough to lift Saizou. But this Spider-Man also has the black suit, and some sources say that Venom can lift upwards of 70 tons. That's absolutely insane. I don't have an exact statistic for the black suited Spider-Man's physical strength, but it's undoubtedly more than what the normal Spider-Man can lift. Thus, carrying Saizou isn't actually pushing Spider-Man's limits._

 **Black Suit Addiction (Part 2):** _Peter is physically addicted to the symbiote, but the addiction to actually using it as the black suit has a lot to do with psychological dependence. The idea here is that the symbiote has become obsessed with doing so, and because of its link with Peter, he was influenced by the symbiote's obsession. Peter's desire to put on the suit and fight with it steadily grew until it became what it is today. Essentially, he's addicted to using the symbiote during a fight, and old habits die hard, so he's only truly comfortable using it when it takes the form of the black suit. The influence between Peter and the symbiote goes both ways, so the symbiote has become comfortable unleashing its true power only when taking on the form of the black suit. So, the desire to fight as the black suited Spider-Man ends up being both a physical and psychological addiction—a combination that can be very dangerous and sometimes impossible to overcome. Luckily, Peter has a good amount of self-control and an iron will._

 **Inner Moka's Reaction to Peter:** _I get that some might say that Inner Moka would have been able to deduce that Peter isn't actually a monster, and that she'd have called him out on being something else, but here's the deal: Inner Moka is a proud person, and monsters tend to view humans as weak. The idea of a human that's on the level of an S-Class monster is something that Inner Moka considers ludicrous, and subconsciously refuses to believe. Thus, she searched for another explanation._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **SonicAnime2010:** _Well you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? :)_

 **Ralex:** _Oh come on, cliffhangers are a good tool. I will, however, continue this story as long as there's a sizable amount of people actually reading it._

 **seem14:** _Thank you._

 **lincoln time:** _Hey there, thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you like my version of Peter Parker, but when it comes to romance, I'm not sure what I'm going to go for with this story. If I decide to turn it into a harem, I'm going to try and keep it as natural as possible, rather than just throw girls at Peter for the sake of creating a harem. As for the symbiote, I currently plan on having Peter keep it. Whether or not Venom makes an appearance is still uncertain, but I have an idea for how to bring him in. Finally, on the topic of other symbiotes: I'm still debating that one. I've thought about including Carnage, but I'm not sure yet. Basically, I've taken your suggestions into account, but no promises._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _It's funny because I literally looked up the weight of an African elephant to see if Spidey could lift it, and then I read your comment about the African elephant :)_

 **Arachnophile801:** _Yeah, sorry about that shorter chapter. I wanted to keep things smooth and writing out all that transpired in between the events would have been exceptionally boring for the audience. Also, I'm glad we got that 'Peter's age in Chapter 1' thing cleared up. On the topic of Eddie as Toxin, I have to say, I liked him more as Anti-Venom. With Toxin, I really hate his color scheme. Baby-barf orange and dark blue/black. Yuck. Anti-Venom is the best looking of the lot, alongside the black-suited Spider-Man, in my humble opinion. And I'm sorry again about getting your hopes up with that quote. I'd also like to comment on your, well, comment on Peter being more raw power than honed skill at this point. While I agree with you, I'd like to point out that Peter received a sort of natural martial art-like fluidity to his attacks upon becoming Spider-Man. In the movies, you see Peter responding to the spider-sense with lighting fast reflexes and attacks that remind viewers of a karate or kung-fu movie. He's no master, but his attacks aren't just angry flails. He's definitely more brutish than regular Spider-Man, but he's not like the Rhino or Saizou, who just threw punches and hoped for the best. That little bit about Eddie being able to lift 800 pounds prior to bonding with the symbiote always had me thinking: if Eddie was made physically stronger than Spider-Man by bonding to the symbiote, why didn't Spider-Man achieve a level of physical strength even beyond that when he had the symbiote? If a human capable of lifting 800 pounds bonds with the symbiote and creates Venom, why didn't a human who could lift 10 tons bond with the symbiote and create some sort of indestructible super being? I get that it would be overpowered, but why didn't Peter Parker become something like that when he was bonded to the symbiote? Oh, and BOY did that part about the adhesive hands and skin tearing make me do a double take. I never pegged even the black suited Spider-Man as that cruel. Stuff like that sounds like Spawn- or Haunt-level violent. Also, I agree that Inner Moka would show more respect to Peter than to someone like Tsukune. He was a wimp, while Inner Moka is convinced that Peter is an S-Class monster. Obviously, she's got a lot more respect for the web slinger. And don't ever apologize for a long review; feedback is food for the author and the lifeblood of a story. No feedback = no story, and your reviews have been a pleasure to read._

 **Kharn:** _Thank you for the suggestions. I have to say, the approaches you took were very different than what I was considering—and I mean different in a good way. Variety is the spice of life. That little bit about Moka giving Peter and the symbiote her blood actually got me thinking about another approach I could use alongside yours. Again, nothing is set in stone, but you've given me some possible ideas._

 **DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero:** _Is it now? Man, I really should find a source that gives a consistent measurement that. Too many variables though. Also, I love your username. Very unique._

 **Slimjim77:** _Thank you._

 **Lets Do That Again:** _Thank you for the estimates, it helps with trying to figure out how strong to make this Spider-Man. As for Inner Moka, I'm very unsure as to what to assign her. Clearly, she is a very powerful character, what with her physical strength being so insane. However, slapping a number onto that strength is difficult. The easiest way to put it right now would be to say that I plan to have her a bit stronger than a calm Peter Parker, but if he gets enraged and the symbiote begins feeding off that fury (basically sending him into rage mode—or, in more realistic terms, an adrenaline rush in which the symbiote makes massive changes to both its body and Peter's), he'd begin to catch up very quickly. In my opinion, if Peter and the symbiote became Venom, his physical strength would surpass that of Inner Moka, the logic here being that if Eddie could become so strong as Venom, Peter Parker would only be stronger, depending on how completely his mind bonds with the symbiote. Right now, there's an obvious line between Peter's personality/desires and those of the symbiote, so their minds aren't in complete sync._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _Well, the spider-sense in and of itself won't stop Kurumu's charm (it can only warn), but the symbiote will definitely be able to interfere. As for Madam Web, I'm not sure. Still debating on how/if I should bring her in._

 **hunterrylee:** _Thank you._

 **-Chapter 5: Symbiote and a Succubus-**

Four days had passed since the fight with Saizou, and in those four days, I had begun to believe that I'd never understand this school. The teachers' reaction to an unconscious Saizou was almost bored, as though they were used to this sort of thing. They had taken Moka and I aside and asked for a basic explanation, and were satisfied with knowing that I led Saizou out into the woods to keep him away from the other students before he was defeated and brought back.

And that was it.

That was all the teachers wanted to hear. Details? Screw them. Is the student still alive? Yup. Alright, slap a band-aid on him and move on with life.

I had asked why they were so indifferent, and I was given a response that had left me speechless:

"Fights happen all too often here. You learn to be quick and efficient with dealing with the aftermath, which often means setting aside the needless details. Witnesses say that Saizou attacked you, and you fought back—which just so happened to be the second time it happened. Plus, Saizou's been at this for a while now. We figured he'd meet a student who wouldn't stand for his behavior sooner or later and respond violently. We saw your little scuffle coming from a mile away."

This school was infinitely more dangerous than I had assumed. Fights were brushed aside—with only a few extra-violent exceptions—because, with all the more serious problems the teachers had to deal with, they didn't have time to micromanage each and every situation in which students butted heads. This place was like a prison, and there were students here who were far more dangerous than Saizou, and the teachers were the only ones who could deal with them.

I flipped a page in the book I had checked out from the library, squinting slightly as I deciphered the words.

Moka and I had walked away with basically no consequences. The teachers didn't even know that Moka had assumed her true form because the details mattered so little. It wasn't ignorance or incompetence; it was the teachers prioritizing to the best of their abilities. There were bigger problems for them to handle, and as serious as the situation with Saizou was by human standards, it was was tame compared to some of the stories I had heard and read. An old newspaper article from last year's Newspaper Club even talked about an event in which a student savagely beat one of his peers to _death_ during a violent confrontation.

The teachers were simply doing their best to deal with the more pressing issues while leaving less threatening ones to be treated at a later date or less thoroughly.

My eyes drifted down the page as I took in the information. Vampires apparently had an inherent weakness to water, evidenced by Moka's obvious fear of it. According to this book, water's purifying powers damaged a vampire because of their naturally darker nature and negative energy, meaning that people like Moka were forced to neutralize whatever water they used with special herbs to make it available for everyday tasks such as bathing or washing their hands. It was an incredibly dangerous and inconvenient weakness, especially considering how large of a role water played in the existence of life on Earth.

The symbiote processed this information in a slightly different manner. To it, we had just found our chief weapon against all future vampires in this school or the surrounding area. If it ever came to a fight, we now knew their greatest weakness.

I glanced outside at the sun's morning rays as they bathed my dorm in their bright golden light. Even in this twisted excuse for a school, the morning sunlight still brought a nice serene feeling with it. The next object of interest was my digital alarm clock, which showed that I had roughly seven minutes left before I had to get going. I had woken up early today because of the amount of trouble I had falling asleep last night. I knew I'd get sleepier later in the day—probably at the most inconvenient of times—but lying in bed doing nothing would accomplish just that: nothing. So, I had dragged myself out and grabbed the book that I had checked out from the library yesterday evening. The book contained detailed theories and known facts on vampires, the infamous S-Class monsters.

Speaking of which, I had finally learned the meaning of that term. It apparently applied to the strongest, most capable of monsters. Vampires were considered to be S-Class monsters, known particularly for their insane physical strength. Another popular example would be the werewolf, a species famous for unmatched speed. The darker Moka that had awoken during the fight with Saizou was under the impression that I belonged to this particular class of monsters.

I was obviously not a monster, but in terms of actual power, I had no idea if I measured up to the standards of an S-Class monster. It was a fifty-fifty chance at this point.

I flipped another page in the book and found myself staring at a detailed diagram of vampire anatomy, as well as some of the theories and proven facts that went along with it. In all honestly, Moka's duel personality and its origins interested me more than her race or biology—I had seen vampires before, but seeing two very different people sharing a body in the way the two Moka's did was something new to me. However, seeing as Moka's situation seemed to be unique, the best I could do was to dig up information that was found by previous generations of monster scientists and such.

I checked the clock again. Four minutes until I had to start packing up for class.

I still hadn't had the opportunity to find out how to leave Yōkai Academy and because of the fight with Saizou only a few days ago, I had to refrain from asking the teachers about it. If I suddenly expressed the desire to leave the school, so shortly after my fight with Saizou, the staff might get suspicious. Suspicion was what I needed to avoid.

Little of interest had happened between Saizou's defeat and the present. We had dragged him back, were "questioned" on what had happened, and were told to move on while Saizou was checked for any serious injuries. The days following the fight were, essentially, ordinary school days, save for the occasional lecture on species I'd assumed to be fictional. The only thing that was worth mentioning was the fact that the situation with the rapist was officially over. The staff had completely revised Saizou's schedule so that he no longer shared any classes with Moka, and he had been placed with teachers that were better equipped to handle a problematic student. If he acted up again, he'd get more than a verbal warning from his new instructors.

With Saizou out of the way, I had some time freed up for myself. Granted, Moka still stuck to me like glue, despite the fact that she was no longer in any real danger. That was the next problem on my list: getting Moka a new friend. The pink-haired vampire would need somebody looking out for her when I was gone, and the sooner she had someone else to cling to, the better. While the idea of an attractive girl following you around day in and day out may have sounded good to most, it was an issue for me. For one, the symbiote wasn't Moka's biggest fan, and it took priority over her. On top of that, Moka attracted a _lot_ of attention. Heads turned when she walked through the hallway, and given the fact that she was holding onto me in some way more often than not put me in the spotlight as well.

People's responses to me were a mix of gratefulness for taking Saizou down a notch and anger for being the only person Moka would hang around. She never gave anybody else as much attention as she did to me, as though she was afraid of losing whatever friendship had bloomed between her and I. I was convinced that Moka needed professional help, because this level of obsession couldn't be normal. She was emotionally damaged and needed real relief. Relief from someone who specialized in helping people like her. Another high school student wasn't the type of person she should be going to for help dealing with emotional problems like this, especially not someone who had only known her for a few days.

My alarm clock went off, signaling that it was time to get a move on and get to class. I got up with a sigh, shutting the book in my lap and turning off the alarm. I grabbed what few materials I needed for class and began the short walk to my first class for the day. I had brushed my teeth and combed my hair back when I had first woken up, so I was out the door in seconds and on my way to class. There were plenty of students already milling about, getting ready to start their school day while some looked like they had just crawled out of bed.

It wasn't long before I strolled into Miss Nekonome's classroom. Most of my classes were with this teacher—thankfully, seeing as she was one of the kindest I'd ever had. Her optimistic attitude was a welcome distraction among Yōkai Academy's many, many negative characteristics. The cat-eared teacher looked up in surprise as I entered her room. She threw a glance at the clock on the wall before turning back to me.

"My, you're certainly early," she chirped, her usual cheerful attitude bleeding through. "Any particular reason why?"

I shrugged. "I woke up earlier than usual, so I was ready to go by the time most people were only beginning to pack up for class."

Miss Nekonome nodded before hesitating. "Peter, there's something I thought I'd mention." I raised an eyebrow but remained silent. "Miss Akashiya came to me yesterday with a rather…odd request."

I frowned. "What sort of request?"

Miss Nekonome sighed. "She wanted to have her schedule redone to match yours. In simpler terms, she wants us to put her in every class with you."

I reeled back. "I—she—huh?"

Miss Nekonome giggled. "I thought that I should get your consent on the matter. Miss Akashiya seems like a wonderful girl, but if you're for whatever reason uncomfortable with this development, I can refuse her request. Otherwise, I think I'll grant it. She seems a little shaken up by the incident with Saizou, and it appears as though she feels safe around you."

I had no idea what to say. When I didn't respond, the teacher continued. "It's adorable, really. Have you two known each other for long?" I slowly shook my head.

"It hasn't been long at all. Feels like it's been ages though."

Miss Nekonome smiled. "Ah, well, these things tend to work themselves out like that. Are you two, you know, together?" Suddenly, she paused and shook her head as though to clear her thoughts. "Oh dear, that was inappropriate. What you do on your time is your business, I'm sorry for prying. It's just so sweet how she's this attached to you."

It was also dangerous. This level of attachment could turn violent if Moka ever felt as though I had wronged her. While I couldn't imagine the Moka that I knew getting violent with me for leaving, I couldn't treat this like some average girl problem. For safety's sake, I had to assume that Moka had to be handled delicately to avoid issues. The other Moka—the powerful one—didn't seem like she was attached to me at all. Was she curious? Yes. Attached? Not that I could tell. If I left, I doubted that the silver-haired vampire would feel any pain from it.

But that left me with the other problem: the outer Moka. How would I handle her? The ideal solution would be to pair her up with someone who would be there for her and leave Yōkai Academy before anybody figured out that I was human. However, I had to deal with the problem at hand first. If I let Moka attend every class with me, she might get all the more attached, which was not the goal. However, if I refused to let her stick close to me, she might find out and react in a dangerous manner—though whether that danger was to others or to herself was up for debate.

In the symbiote's figurative eyes, the solution was simple: leave and never return. My partner didn't care for Moka; its top concern was the safety of itself and its host—me. As I sifted through the alien's many thoughts, I realized that it brought up a good point: Moka wasn't my problem. At the end of the day, I was helping Moka out of kindness, not obligation. However, it was because I had gotten so involved with her that my absence might hurt her.

A bout of frustration from my partner filled my mind. It was definitely unhappy with the amount of emphasis I was placing on Moka's mental and emotional health, especially because I was putting myself—and by extension, the symbiote—at risk by staying here.

 _Oh come on! We can't just ditch her! Look, I have NO intention of staying here longer than needed, so we'll be leaving the moment we can! I know you don't like this, but bear with me; we'll be home soon._

"Um, Peter, dear, are you alright?" asked Miss Nekonome. "You're spacing out…"

I jerked up at the sound of her voice and offered a smile. "Oh, sorry about that. I tend to fall into my own little world every now and then, you know?" The cat-eared teacher giggled.

"It happens. Now then, about Miss Akashiya's schedule; are you alright with her attending all the same classes as you?"

No.

"It's fine."

Miss Nekonome clasped her hands together with a grin. "Wonderful! I'll have her in all your classes by Monday!" She put her hands to her cheeks and sighed dreamily. "Ah, young love—"

"We're not in a relationship," I cut in. "Moka was in need of a friend when she met me, and I…"

I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Moka should have met someone who would have cared for her unconditionally, but I simply didn't have it in me to stay here in Japan with her. Not when I had so much back home, not when I had a symbiote that required my attention and cooperation.

Thoughts of agreement were what flowed through my partner's mind.

"I was just in the right place at the right time," I finished slowly.

Miss Nekonome cocked her head. "Huh, how strange. I wasn't expecting that. Oh well, all the same, it's good to see that she found such a dependable friend that she can spend time with!" I gave her a nod and a fake smile before going back to my seat. It wasn't long until more students began showing up, greeting the teacher in various ways. I wasn't paying much attention to them, as I was busy conversing with the symbiote and trying to think of how to orchestrate our return to New York.

 _So when we get out of Yōkai, we're going to need to find a way to get back to New York and give Aunt May a good excuse as to why we dropped out._

The symbiote's reply was to send me thoughts detailing a story involving an incredibly corrupt staff. Essentially, the goal was to convince Aunt May that the learning environment was polluted with unjust teachers and a very poor education system.

 _But then what if she wants to complain about it? If Aunt May writes a review of the school and someone finds out I badmouthed it, there would be consequences, right? Miss Nekonome in particular knows me better than the other teachers, so—_

"Hiya Peter!" chirped a familiar voice. I turned to find Moka quickly approaching me with her bag swinging around in her hands. I smiled and greeted her with a quick nod.

"Hello Moka. Have you had your tomato juice for the morning?" I asked. Moka nodded happily. She had been making every attempt to satisfy her thirst with substitutes for blood as per my request, seeing as acquiring blood might hurt somebody.

Moka situated herself in the seat behind me and began humming. Before I could reengage in conversation with my symbiote, Miss Nekonome stood up and announced that class was about to begin. As usual, I listened to the lessons and attempted to actually _learn_ something. Monster school or not, this was still a school, and I didn't want to waste the time that was actually dedicated to learning here. I did, however, notice—with no small amount of satisfaction—that Saizou's seat was empty.

Class continued without any setbacks or issues. When the time came to start heading to out, I noticed Miss Nekonome pull Moka aside, presumably to tell her that her new schedule would be approved. As the pink-haired vampire left my side to answer the teacher's call, I quickly informed her that I'd be heading on to my next class. The walk there was, like the majority of the day so far, uneventful, save for the fact that Moka chased me down in the hall to frantically—and joyfully—explain that we'd be sharing all our classes together.

The class that followed Miss Nekonome's went off without a hitch, as did the one after that, and the one after that, and before I knew it, lunchtime had come. Moka was already waiting for me at an empty table by the time I reached the cafeteria and was gesturing to an unoccupied seat next to her. I nodded at her to signal that I'd take the seat in a second. I retrieved my lunch fairly quickly, and came to find Moka happily drinking a can of tomato juice.

I sat down next to her and began digging into my own meal. "So, how's your day going so far?" I asked in between bites.

Moka turned around to face me and smiled, leaning on the table as she did so. "Wonderful! This morning was great—I found out that my schedule would be changed like I asked—and I got a hundred percent on a difficult assignment in one of my other classes."

I nodded while taking another bite. "Good job."

"What about you? How's your day coming along?" Moka asked. I shrugged.

"Eh, so far so good," I answered quickly. Silence descended upon us, and I found myself wondering whether or not to try and keep the conversation alive. Moka seemed comfortable with the lack of communication at the moment, so I decided to keep quiet and eat my lunch. However, the symbiote was still well aware of the issues we faced, and the moment it realized that Moka didn't have my attention, it decided to remind me of the fact that I didn't have a good reason to give Aunt May for leaving Yōkai Academy.

 _Crap, you're right. We still need an excuse._

The symbiote and I immediately got to thinking, mentally bouncing ideas off each other. The alien suggested that we tell Aunt May that I was too poor at speaking, reading, or writing in Japanese to get good grades. According to my partner, I could tell her that I was only ruining my grades because I wasn't completely familiar with Japanese—which was partially true; I wasn't as good at Japanese as the other students.

 _But if Aunt May looks at my grades, she'll see that they're completely intact. She'll see that the language had almost no effect on my grades, they're just like usual! What if we tell her that there was a bully problem?_

The symbiote responded by expressing concern about what would happen if Aunt May tried contacting the nonexistent bully's parents. This was followed up by an analysis of several other flaws that existed within the plan, one of which being that Aunt May would question me flying out of a country all because of a bully. I frowned when I realized my partner was correct.

 _Rats, we're going to be here for a while, aren't we?_

The symbiote uttered the mental equivalent of a sigh. The cold hard truth was that, until I found a good excuse to give Aunt May, I couldn't leave Yōkai Academy. I wasn't equipped to live on my own outside the school, so if I left before I was ready to make the return trip to New York, I'd be stuck in Japan with nothing to my name except the fact that I was Spider-Man—which didn't exactly pay the costs for food, water, and shelter. I had nothing to live off of should I leave the school, so the moment I left, I'd have to be on my way to the airport to get home. I almost hit my head against the table in frustration when I realized that we'd have to sort through the issues that came with travel via plane as well.

 _Great, now leaving Yōkai Academy is only half the battle; the other half is actually getting out of Japan and finding a way home._

I felt the symbiote's frustration the moment the emotion entered its mind. Granted, it was already irritated because of the situation we had found ourselves in, but both of us were growing steadily more fed up with all of this, and the symbiote's anger was becoming more and more noticeable.

Suddenly, the symbiote noticed a girl approaching, and quickly informed me. I looked up and found the female in question, silently thanking my partner for spotting and pointing out the newcomer while I was lost in thought. My attention was immediately drawn to the bright blue hair and deep purple eyes, and it took me only a second to recognize this as one of my classmates from Miss Nekonome's class.

Moka had looked up as well, blinking in confusion. "Oh, hello," she said upon noticing the approaching girl.

The newcomer smiled and nodded to Moka before doing the same to me. I raised a hand and gave her a short wave in response. "I was wondering if I could sit with you guys," she explained. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Feel free," I replied, gesturing to the many empty seats around us. "Name's Peter, by the way. This is Moka."

The blue-haired girl gave a slight bow before introducing herself. "Kurumu Kurono. I'm in some of your classes, actually."

"Yeah, I've noticed you before," Moka remarked. "You sit to my right in some of those classes, don't you?"

Kurumu nodded before taking a seat next to Moka. "I do. I've noticed you two hanging around a lot with each other. You guys close?"

Before I could respond, Moka had grabbed my arm and yanked me towards herself. "Oh yeah, Peter's the best!"

I ignored the symbiote's discomfort at being grabbed and tried forcing a smile onto my face. Moka was sweet, but the constant hugs and physical contact weren't appreciated by my partner—or me. "Nah, I just tried to be a nice guy," I said awkwardly while peeling myself away from Moka's grasp.

Kurumu smiled and giggled at the display. "You two _do_ seem very close," she commented. "It must be nice to meet a guy who doesn't gawk at every pretty girl that walks by."

I snorted at that. Unfortunately, she was right about that last part: a lot of the males at this school tended to stop and stare, and most of them never bothered hiding where they looked. The amount of shameless glances cast at Moka was overwhelming, and more than a little annoying.

"Yeah, it's pretty nice," Moka replied while rubbing the back of her head. "To meet a guy who's not a pervert, I mean. It gets a bit awkward when guys are looking at me like that."

Kurumu twitched. "Oh yeah, it gets very, _very_ annoying when all the guys are looking at you," she replied with a strange emphasis on the 'you' part. "I know I hate it."

 _That was…odd._

The rest of our lunch went by without incident. Moka and I spent much of the time getting to know Kurumu, and at one point, she offered Moka and I some homemade cookies. While I was going to decline at first, I realized that it might hurt her feelings, seeing as she made them herself, so I decided I'd have one.

Best choice ever. Her cookies tasted amazing.

Eventually, Kurumu glanced at one of the many clocks hanging around the cafeteria and stood up. "Lunch will be over soon," she announced. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'd suggest you guys do the same; later on in the year, the teachers get really picky about letting a student go to the bathroom right after lunch. They always say something like, 'you should have gone during the lunch break'. It's good to get into the habit of going while you can."

 _Well, that was out of the blue. She is right, however._

"Huh, you might be right," Moka muttered before standing up and smiling widely at Kurumu. "Thanks for the advice!" She turned to me and gave a small wave. "I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?

I nodded, and just as Kurumu and Moka turned to leave, the former paused and returned her gaze to me. "Hey, after the bathroom break, we'll still have some time before lunch ends. You guys want to head outside afterwards and hang out a bit before the next class starts? The weather is gorgeous out there."

I blinked and turned to Moka, who wore her usual innocent smile. "Sure! That sounds lovely!"

Kurumu beamed at her. "Awesome! Whoever gets out there first, just wait for the rest of us."

"Uh, sure, okay," I replied. I only paid half attention to what I said because of what the symbiote and I had both realized: this girl could be the potential replacement Moka would need once I was gone. Granted, she was a bit off—but at this school, who wasn't? The least I could do was give Kurumu a chance and see what she brings to the table. If she proved to be a dependable person, I could leave her with Moka, and concentrate on actually finding out how to leave Yōkai and, eventually, Japan itself.

I could feel the symbiote's excitement; for the first time, it felt as though we were starting to make progress towards finally leaving this place. I was beginning to really hope that Kurumu came through on this—she may not know it, but I was now betting on her being a good person. Hopefully, she would be nothing like Saizou, and actually prove to be someone Moka could be safe around.

As the two girls left the room, I decided that I didn't need to use the bathroom, and instead headed outside and spared a glance at the clock. There was definitely some time left before classes started up again, and as I made my way past the doors that led outside, I noticed plenty of other students sitting around and talking. I decided to head to a more secluded spot—one in which I could observe the other students without being noticed. I was closer to the edge of the woods surrounding the school than any of the other students at this point, and now all I had to do was wait for Kurumu and Moka to return.

Several minutes passed, and some students had begun clearing out. I was beginning to get a little concerned. It was very possible that I was overreacting, but given the situation that just happened with Saizou, and the fact that it was so tame in comparison to some of the other students that it was brushed aside as though it were nothing, I had reason to be on guard. When I finally noticed a familiar head of blue hair in the crowd, I saw that there was a distinct lack of pink in the area around it.

Kurumu had returned, _without_ Moka.

I was up on my feet instantly, jogging towards Kurumu. She noticed me from a mile away, and her only reaction was to smile and wave before moving towards me.

 _Alright, play it cool. Don't show any suspicion; just act natural and assess the situation._

"Hey," I began as I approached, slowing my jog down to a walk. "Where's Moka?"

"She was taking a while, and she didn't want to keep you or me waiting," Kurumu explained with a wave of her hand. "She said she was having a bit of a stomach ache and considered visiting the nurse."

I frowned. "She seemed fine before she left," I muttered, trying to sound as natural as possible. I was being paranoid, I knew that, but after Saizou, I couldn't help but be careful.

Kurumu shrugged. "She thought that she might have been given expired food or something. She's not entirely sure. I thought I'd come tell you what was happening." Throughout the last sentence, Kurumu had begun fidgeting and swaying in place, taking on a look of extreme discomfort.

 _Symbiote…something's not right here. This feels…off._

Agreement. My partner didn't like this situation any more than I did. "I think I'll go check up on Moka before going to class," I said as I began walking past Kurumu. "Was nice meeting you Ku—"

"Wait!" she shouted. "Before you go…there's something I have to ask." I turned to find a red-faced Kurumu staring back at me with determination.

 _Symbiote, be on guard. I don't like this._

I received the mental equivalent of a nod in response.

Kurumu glanced around nervously as I stood there, arms crossed and waiting for her to speak. "Um," she began, rubbing her arm as she did so. "Can we step aside for a second…it's a bit embarrassing to say this when people are around."

"Nobody can hear you but me," I replied quickly.

 _I can't let her drag me into a dark alley or anything. Stay in sight of the other students, if she's got something planned, she'll be less likely to try it._

"Yeah, but they can see me," she insisted, her face growing redder. "I don't want them to see me like…like this."

I sighed. "Kurumu, we have to get to class soon. Please, just spit it out."

I saw Kurumu's finger twitch, only for her to take a deep breath and step forward, looking me in the eye. "Alright," she whispered. "I'll spit it out." She took another breath, and a wide grin suddenly appeared on her face, completely erasing the 'shy girl' persona. "Love charm."

Love wha—? The world suddenly lurched, and all I could focus on were Kurumu's eyes, those _gorgeous_ , glowingeyes. "Peter," she breathed.

 _Oh man, her voice is angelic…did I really suspect that this girl had hurt Moka?_

"You don't really want to go see Moka again, do you?" she asked.

Did I?

"No," I muttered. I was faintly aware of some kind of tingling in the base of my skull, and a strange rush of emotions from somewhere. What was happening? Where were these emotions and thoughts coming from? I felt as though I was missing something here.

"Of course you don't," whispered Kurumu. "You want to spend the rest of your life with me. You want to be mine. All _mine_."

I could feel a growing panic and anger building up in the back of my head. Seriously, where were all these violent and aggressive emotions coming from? And what was up with that tingling? What was—?

Suddenly, Kurumu doubled over, coughing and sputtering as her own spit splashed across her shoes. Something snapped, and I was suddenly gasping for air, my vision momentarily turning black and white. Shocked, I looked down at my arm, only to find it enveloped in the black suit with long claws extending from my fingertips. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the symbiote had used my body to punch Kurumu.

 _What the hell is going on?!_

A massive rush of emotions and thoughts flooded my mind as my connection with the symbiote was reestablished. What would have taken several sentences to explain was transferred in a split second through the mental link I shared with the alien, and I found myself looking down at the girl who had just _invaded my mind_.

And if it weren't for the symbiote breaking her hold on me, she would have stayed in my head.

Rage deceit distrust disgust confusion panic concern bewitchment violence revenge retaliation vengeance.

The symbiote's mind was in complete disarray, swirling with thoughts and emotions. It was practically screaming at me, shrieking with a cold, violent fury.

The girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl the girl.

The alien was going absolutely berserk. Every fiber of its being was screaming at me to retaliate, to fight back against this girl. My fists clenched and I reached down, grabbing Kurumu by the back of her vest. With her still in tow, I whirled around the corner of the school, well out of sight of what few people remained outside.

Kurumu grunted as I shoved her against the wall, pressing my forearm against her neck. "What was that?" I demanded. "What did you just try to do?!"

Kurumu's hands shot up, her fingers wrapping around the arm that pinned her to the wall in a vain attempt to shove me away. However, she was severely lacking in the physical strength department when compared to me. I heard Kurumu growl, right before my spider-sense suddenly went off, and I found myself backpedaling away from the blue-haired girl as massive claws sprouted from her fingertips, narrowly missing my sides.

The black suit was still covering my arm, and it was spreading rapidly. I should have been worried about the fact that I was so willingly putting it on in broad daylight, but I had bigger things to worry about.

Like the furious girl in front of me who just so happened to be growing massive bat-like wings from her back.

Kurumu took off into the air, glaring down at me with a scowl. "How'd you do that?" she demanded. "How'd you break the love charm?"

I glared right back at her. "The real question is what are you doing? What's your goal here?"

Kurumu's eyes narrowed. "Tch! I should have guessed that this wouldn't be easy. Oh well, the rewards are both you _and_ Moka, so the sooner I take you, the sooner I can get that idiotic airhead out of my way!"

Oh this was _not_ happening again. First Saizou the rapist and now Kurumu the whatever-the-heck-she-was?!

 _Wait, she just admitted that she hasn't dealt with Moka yet; that means that she's still alright—or, at the very least, alive._

The winged girl dove at me, spreading out her massive claws as she did so. I leapt into the air, avoiding her talons as she flew past me. I landed on all fours some distance away, and as my head snapped up, I could feel the symbiote complete the suit. Kurumu whirled to face me, pausing and blinking when she saw the black suit in all its completed glory.

"The hell?" she muttered.

I glanced down at my fingertips, noting the sharp claws extending from them. The symbiote was still furious, and its anger was beginning to manifest itself in more ways than one.

 _Symbiote, we need to handle this in a controlled manner. If we lose our cool, we may end up crippling her—or worse. Murder is going to give the teachers a reason to force us to stay here, and that's not what we want._

Despite my advice, I was still angry. In our year as Spider-Man, the symbiote and I had yet to encounter someone who had tried to twist my mind like how Kurumu had attempted, so the experience had been entirely new for the symbiote, and it was going insane over it. Having another mind invade the space shared by symbiote and host had driven my partner into a blind panic, and the symbiote's initial response to such a threat was to eliminate it as fast as possible and make an example of it.

 _Don't worry, we may not be allowed to go all out on her, but her dignity and pride are about to take a hit._

I chuckled. "Oh, and it'll probably hurt a bit," I whispered.

Kurumu spread her wings and flew higher. "I may not know what you are, but this ends here, Peter; I'm not going to let Moka ruin my mission anymore, and when I have you, getting her out of the way will be a piece of cake!"

The winged female shot down at me from the sky like some deranged bat. I bent my knees and jumped as high as I could—which was quite high. Kurumu gaped when she saw me rocket into the air, completely failing to notice the rapidly approaching school wall until it was almost too late. She gasped and veered away at the last second, only for a pair of web lines to attach to her stomach.

 _Alright symbiote, you know the drill: gotta get her away from the other students._

To reacquire her balance, Kurumu was forced to flap her wings harder, her face flushing from the effort. I yanked on the web lines, which quickly unbalanced The Mad Flapper again. Before she could react, several balls of webbing slammed into her wings, ensnaring them almost instantly. I watched as she tumbled out of the sky, desperately trying to reach around and cut through the webbing with her talons.

I shot a pair of web lines into the forest, each attaching to a sturdy tree, and then proceeded to take several steps back, using the trees and web lines as a large slingshot. As Kurumu fell into the target area, I lifted my feet, launching myself into her general vicinity. With natural, fluid motions, the symbiote's dark tendrils shot from my back, wrapping around Kurumu's wrists and elbows like streams of webbing with a mind of their own. Kurumu was jerked through the air with a yelp as she was forced to accompany me on our impromptu trip into the woods.

I glanced over my shoulder as momentum carried us through the air and away from the students. Kurumu was struggling to break free of the webs, but with the way the symbiote had ensnared her, she couldn't move her arms enough to cut through the webbing with her claws. With a frustrated growl, however, long talons erupted from her toes.

 _Ah crap._

Kurumu flipped around, twisting the webbing with a display of flexibility and agility that rivaled my own. The claws on her feet cut through the webbing that held her elbows, which freed her arms enough to allow her to tear through the remaining webs with the long talons on her hands. Within seconds, she was plummeting to the ground, almost entirely free of the webs that held her.

I shot a web line after her as she tried cutting her wings free from what webbing still stuck to them. However, just before the web line could hit her, she managed to free one of her two wings and twirl out of the way of the webbing. A second swipe, and her other wing was untied, leaving Kurumu free to fly. She pulled up just in time to avoid hitting the ground, and quickly flew into the air while I landed in a tree.

Kurumu turned to face me, her face a mask of fury. "Why you—you little—argh!"

I snorted. "Angry, aren't we?"

 _This is what you get._

Kurumu waved a clawed hand through the air. "I won't let you screw with me like this! I have a mission to complete, and neither you nor that man-stealing freak are going to stop me!"

Man-stealing freak? Good grief, just what was this girl on?

"I think you may want to sit down," I called out to my adversary. "You'll overheat. Oh, and you may catch a cold up there while you're at it. Not a good combination!"

Kurumu cackled. "You won't talk so tough once I get my claws on you!"

"Spooky."

Kurumu shrieked and dove at me, talons reaching out to grab me. I snickered at the display of anger before dropped from the tree, only to watch as Kurumu sliced through the branch, as well as through the trunks of _four_ other trees. I whistled just loudly enough for Kurumu to hear. For a moment, her chest puffed out in pride, and the confident grin returned to her face.

"Those are some claws you've got there," I shouted to her. "Makes me wonder why you didn't just try and stab me instead of the whole 'love charm' thing."

The purple-eyed girl crossed her arms. "Ha! I don't need a corpse, I need love slaves!"

I blinked. "You need _what_?"

The airborne girl grinned. "I required love slaves for my mission. The simpletons here are easy prey, and getting into their heads is like taking candy from a baby. Once I enslave enough of them, I'll be able to move on with my mission!"

 _My gosh, just what is she planning on doing to her victims?_

"And what better person to enslave than my rival's boyfriend?!" she shouted.

I was too stunned by Kurumu's previous declaration to correct her choice of words.

Without warning, Kurumu rocketed towards me. I considered stopping her in her tracks, but decided against it; underestimating an enemy with claws as sharp as hers could prove fatal. As Kurumu approached, I leaned back as far as I could, my adhesive feet keeping me anchored to the ground. Kurumu sailed right over me as I bent at an angle that she probably deemed unnatural.

My hands shot up, wrapping around Kurumu's ankles and jerking her back, throwing her on the ground, where she landed roughly on her backside. As she moved to stand, I swung my fist low to the ground and slammed it into the girl's jaw, sending her flying into the air from the force of the uppercut. The force was increased as the symbiote sent out part of its mass and shoved Kurumu upwards along with my uppercut—a non-lethal method of increasing the distance by which she'd fly without taking the risk of breaking her neck.

I jumped after Kurumu's retreating form as she tried to straighten herself out. By the time she was steady enough to control her ascent, however, I was already in front of her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pinning her hands and wings at her back in a bear hug. We were face to face now, and beginning to plummet to the ground. Kurumu's eyes widened as she realized what was happening, and she shut her eyes and attempted to force her way out of my grip.

"Are you insane?!" she cried. "You're going to kill us both!"

I chuckled. "You'll live, but I suggest you brace yourself; a fall like this tends to hurt." With my hands interlocked at her back, I held Kurumu firmly in place as the ground quickly approached. Webbing exited my wrists and the symbiote directed it towards Kurumu's wrists and wings, tying them together and forcing them to stick to her back.

Before Kurumu could try anything else, I let her go, watching as her legs flailed helplessly for a moment. Then, just as she opened her mouth to scream, I shot a thick net of webbing down into the trees below her, allowing her to become ensnared in it. Her fall ceased almost immediately, and as a few of the strings snapped and wrapped around her, Kurumu was soon hanging upside down in a cocoon of webbing, her head dangling mere inches above the ground.

She looked shocked for several seconds, but quickly gathered herself and began jerking about, attempting to free herself from the web. I landed next to her and casually swiped my hand across the webbing at her back, allowing the symbiote to reabsorb it. Kurumu tumbled to the ground, at last free of her confinement. She was on her feet immediately, whirling around to face me. Her fists were clenched—to be the best of her ability, given her talons—and her eyes were narrowed. This was the angriest I had seen her yet.

"Why you," she hissed. "You little freak! I'm _not_ going to lose to you, and I'm _not_ going to stand for this humiliation! You hear me?!" Kurumu swung a clawed hand at me, which I caught at the wrist. She gasped in surprise, but quickly regained her composure and swung her other hand in the same manner, only to have me catch it by the wrist as well. I squeezed with both hands just enough to make her significantly uncomfortable.

"I could crush both your wrists right now," I muttered, loud enough for her to hear. "One quick squeeze, and your wrists would be damaged to the point where they won't heal properly. I can cripple you right now if I wanted to."

Kurumu's eyes widened before narrowing dangerously. She jerked back, and I let go as she did so, causing her to stumble back in confusion, as she didn't anticipate me letting go. Before she could recover, I moved forward, and in a single fluid motion, my hand shot up, stopping centimeters from Kurumu's throat.

"I could have broken your neck if I had followed up on that hit," I said. "Or I could have cut your throat." Fear was starting to show in Kurumu's eyes as she stepped back, swallowing audibly as she moved away. "I could have thrown you at the ground when I was holding you in the sky—the force of the impact would have shattered your spine. I could have finished you off while you were stuck in my web; face it, Kurumu," I said as I leaned forward. "You can't beat me. You're not strong enough, and your 'love charm' doesn't work on me. Make this easy on yourself and surrender. Don't drag this out."

Kurumu stared at me, clearly unsure of what to do. Slowly, her eyes began narrowing and her lips pulled back. "No," she whispered. "I _can't_ lose, I _can't_ surrender! I'll fight until my very last breath if I have to, and if you want to win, well then you'll just have to defeat me yourself!"

Kurumu lashed out at me with a violent kick, which I smacked away with my arm. I dodged her next attack—a punch directed at my head—and grabbed her throat, throwing her backwards against a tree. Despite the overwhelming odds against her, Kurumu attempted to headbutt me as I approached, only to have me duck under it.

Time slowed to a crawl as I drove my fist into her gut, not hard enough to break bone, but much, much harder than anything I had done so far in the fight. Kurumu's mouth hung open, suspended as her eyes stared through me in shock. Slowly, she crumpled to the ground, sinking against the tree's trunk while her hands moved to the injured area as I retracted my fist.

I stared down at her trembling form, watching as she tried to breathe. She'd survive the hit, no doubt, but the pain must have excruciating. I squatted down next to her and leaned in until my mouth was right next to her ear. "I'm going to tell you a little secret," I whispered to her. "I could have torn you limb from limb if I wanted to. Heck, in the last minute alone, I had a dozen opportunities to snap your neck. The fact of the matter is that I can end you in seconds, and you can't do anything to stop me." I reached out and gently grabbed Kurumu by her chin and turned her head to face me.

"I could have also ruined your life. I could have torn those wings right off, or crippled you in ways you'd never imagine. So what's stopping me? Do you want to know?" My grip on her chin tightened slightly. "Do you want to know what's standing between you and a permanent disability…or worse?" Kurumu's eyes began watering, and I could see her lip quivering slightly. "You're still alive because I had the sense to hold back, because I _spared_ you," I growled. "I had the decency to show mercy, despite the fact that you tried to get into my head, and turn me into whatever the hell a 'love slave' is. I held back to avoid killing you or severely injuring you."

I leaned back to give her a little space. "With great power, there must also come great responsibility. I can kill you, but that doesn't mean I should. You can get into people minds, but that doesn't mean you should be turning them into slaves. Have you ever considered what you do to them? Have you ever considered how many lives you might ruin by just brainwashing _one_ person? I've got friends and family waiting for me back home; what do you think they would have gone through if I never came back? If I become some sort of brainless zombie bound forever to your will?"

Kurumu flinched.

"And now think about all the other people at this school," I continued. "They might also have friends and family who are waiting for them, who love and cherish them. Every time you enslave someone, you could be leaving a mother without a son, or a sister without a brother. A father could be out there right now, weeping as we speak, all because you stole his son from him. You could be destroying happy families, and for what? What justifies ruining so many lives? And not to mention you're stripping your victims of their free will."

I finally saw it in her eyes: regret. True, painful remorse. While this should have been a good thing, I found myself frowning; why was the guilt suddenly hitting her now? Either she was faking it, or this was the first time she was truly considering the consequences of her actions.

Regardless, it seemed as though she was beginning to see the error of her ways, and the guilt would torment her on its own. Physical pain was no longer required. She had had enough.

"Let me tell you what's going to happen," I began. "In a few minutes, once the pain and shock wears off, I'm going to take you back to the school, and you're going to confess to everything you tried to do to me, you'll confess to everything you planned to do to Moka, and then you'll confess to everything you did to any other students. And once that's done, you'll take whatever punishment the teachers have for you like a mature, responsible woman."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Unless you'd rather deal with me. And trust me: I can hit a _lot_ harder than what you just felt."

"N-no," she whimpered. "No…no more, I'll—I will stop, I promise. Just please, no more…I'll go with you to the teachers," she continued, her voice beginning to return to her. "Just…just don't hit me again…"

I looked into her eyes, the eyes that were once filled with such anger and malice, now only to find a lost, defenseless girl. I sighed. "The injury won't kill you. It'll hurt, but you'll be fine, and pretty soon too, but so help me, if I find out you went right back to the whole enslavement thing, we're going to have a long, _painful_ talk. And don't even think about lying to the teachers about what you've been doing; I can think of worse ways to punish you than they can."

I could feel the symbiote's slight dissatisfaction at the way I handled Kurumu. It was more inclined towards crippling her because the experience of having her invade my mind was something that the symbiote considered absolutely outrageous.

 _Listen, we don't have many witnesses backing up our story here. If we show up with a crippled girl, people will start asking questions, and if something goes wrong, we could be charged with excessive retaliation or assault with a deadly weapon. Convincing her to confess and point us to evidence that can be used against her will give us a way to back up our own story._

The symbiote's reluctant agreement was instant. It had already known my plan because the moment the thoughts entered my mind, the symbiote picked up on them. Regardless, it was still slightly dissatisfied.

I slowly stood up and took a step back until I was staring down at Kurumu's frail form as she steadied her breathing. Her drive and resolve had been crushed. I sighed when I mentally went over the massive list of things that would need to be dealt with when I showed up with Kurumu. While the teachers would probably require much less explaining than a normal school, this situation was still very different from Saizou's in the sense that Kurumu might not have a history of this kind of thing. If she decided to lie and play the victim, it could very well be my word against hers.

I willed the symbiote to retract the black suit and to take the form of the school uniform again as I put my hands on my hips. Except for a few differences, this whole thing felt like a giant repeat of the Saizou incident.

"Why does this all feel so familiar?" I muttered sarcastically.

 **Explanations/Clarifications** **(IMPORTANT)**

 **Angry Peter (IMPORTANT):** _I want to get this out of the way right now: this isn't how Peter will usually act. He obviously has a good level of control over the symbiote, but he doesn't have it completely in check. Occasionally, the alien will go crazy over something, and that inevitably makes Peter a bit more aggressive. The two are mentally linked, after all. This fight was an example of the symbiote making Peter get a little more violent than usual. He's the black suited Spider-Man; he's bound to have these moments every once in a while, it's all part of being the symbiote's host. It won't be a regular thing._

 **Where's Moka?:** _Don't worry, next chapter will have Moka's side of the story, along with a healthy dose of Inner Moka dialogue._ _And let's be honest: how many times have you all read this scene in other stories in which Inner Moka tried to cripple Kurumu, only to have *insert character's name here* stop her and save Kurumu? I deviated from canon a bit to give you guys some new material, as well as to put a different spin on the way Kurumu and Peter's relationship will develop from here on out. Again, don't worry; Inner Moka will get the attention she deserves soon enough._

 **Kurumu's Shaky Plan:** _If you've ever cooked up a plan to enslave your school's male population, you know that there's a lot to account for. But all jokes aside, some may think that Kurumu's little plan to get Moka and Peter apart depended on too many random variables (such as whether or not Moka would have willingly gone with Kurumu to the bathroom). Never fear, Kurumu's plan will receive a little more detail soon, so it will feel more realistic. Just thought I'd throw that out there for more observant readers who were thinking of pointing this part out to me._

 **Peter vs. Kurumu:** _So, there are two main things I'd like to go over with this fight. To start off, we have the length: Peter could have beaten the crap out of Kurumu in seconds if he wanted to in an all-out brawl, but given that he knew very little about her race, powers, or durability, he had to hold back a lot and 'test the waters', so to speak. As he assessed her durability, he adjusted his attacks accordingly. So, he didn't floor her with a single hit because he didn't want to risk crippling/killing her. The second thing I'd like to address is Peter's final hit on Kurumu and his intimidation tactic. Some may argue that he was too violent here, but being a hero doesn't always imply that you make easy choices that are very clearly right or wrong. To Peter, Kurumu was another threat, one that used mind control, rather than physical strength to bring harm. To him, Kurumu is someone that needed to be stopped, and showing her just how easily he could annihilate her was a quick way to frighten her out of her funk and then feel remorse once she sees him show her mercy, despite the fact that he is more than capable of obliterating her. And most importantly, he had the symbiote's fury influencing him. He can't help it. This kind of stuff happens with the black suited Spider-Man._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **I Be Random:** _Oh that's simple: Peter tried killing Sandman because Sandman was responsible for Ben Parker's death—so Peter was looking for revenge. As for Harry, Peter actually walked away without trying to kill him—Harry was the one that threw the bomb at Peter. If Harry hadn't thrown the bomb, Peter would have just left. Kurumu didn't give Peter a real reason to kill her, and with the situation he was in (a school environment), both he and the symbiote knew that killing Kurumu created more problems than it solved._

 **Jaxson:** _I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying it. And don't worry: as long as I have time and an audience to write for, I'll keep going :)_

 **seem14:** _Yeah, last chapter took a lot of work to make. My computer actually ran out of battery twice while I was editing :)_

 **raphael .zalsos:** _I'm very glad to hear that you like my writing style, and when it comes to the harem aspect of Rosario + Vampire, I'm not going to reveal much here, but I'll say this: unless I can get a girl to realistically develop feelings for Peter, I won't do it. So you're not going to see girls suddenly cling to him, but if there's a reason for affection, they'll show it. As for the Ghost Rider and the Howling Commandos, I know next to nothing about them, so it'd be weird to include them because I'd only mess up their personalities._

 **Arachnophile801:** _From a purely realistic standpoint, you're right: Kurumu wouldn't fall for Peter after the beatdown he gave her, but their interactions are only starting. Peter is nothing like Tsukune, so the whole "let's just forgive her and be friends" thing won't be the foundation of any friendships here, but he has his own way of handling troubled/troublesome people—and while he can be pretty forgiving, there needs to be a reason for that forgiveness. When it comes to Kurumu's plan, I actually changed it up a bit. From what I figured, charming men and choosing one of them was something of a custom for the succubi, as opposed to traditional methods like regular dating. I never felt as though Kurumu was actively trying to save her species, so I added to her grand plan, and even began brainstorming a reasonable explanation as to WHY her people are going extinct (I'm not sure if it was touched upon in the manga, as I have yet to finish it, but if you know, feel free to tell me). On the topic of symbiotes, I've seen Toxin while Eddie was its host, and in terms of sheer intimidation, he/they definitely look like something you wouldn't want to see in a dark alley. However, I always felt as though Agent Venom, Toxin with Patrick as the host, and black suited Spider-Man were the most intimidating of the symbiotes. The lack of the bestial appearance leaves them with a very sinister look—like they have their monstrous power in check, instead of being wild, uncontrollable animals. As for Peter and the symbiote, I can understand that he's the template, and your explanation made a lot of sense; I just thought that, since symbiotes empower and amplify the base abilities of their hosts, Peter would have been stronger than Venom while he had the suit. I mean, if Eddie got the symbiote AND Spider-Man's powers, wouldn't he be only AS strong as Spider-Man himself? Peter had the symbiote and his own Spider-Man powers as well, didn't he? In regards to your comment on Kuyo, I can agree with you on the fact that he'd definitely cause major issues for the symbiote due to its natural weakness to fire, but Peter's a smart guy; he'll think of something. And don't worry: I know what you meant about Peter's combat style, and, again, I agree with you. He is more brute strength and sheer ferocity at this point than honed skill, but that power is balanced out by an analytical mind and natural fluidity to his attacks. The nature of his altered DNA, plus the fact that he's enhanced by the symbiote, leaves him with speed and flexibility that you won't find in most people, and he still does have that year of Spider-Man under his belt as experience. Finally, on the topic of Venom's strength, you do seem to be right: his strength fluctuates depending on the author._

 **Randac:** _I'm glad that my deviation from the canon material is being met with positive responses so far. It helps with the motivation to continue the story (as long as I have time and an audience, I'll do everything I can to keep on writing)._

 **A/N:** _Guys, feedback is crucial for this particular chapter; this is written from Moka's point of view, and I need to know how to improve chapters like these or whether or not I should make more like it at all. Also, the Explanations/Clarifications section will contain my personal thoughts/reasons on the way I wrote this chapter and the vocabulary I used._

 **-Chapter 6: Moka Interlude-**

I noticed him right away. Peter walked through the cafeteria doors with a loud yawn, and it wasn't long before he saw me. I gave him a great big wave, and pointed to the empty seat next to me. Peter just smiled and nodded—he did that a lot. As he went to grab his lunch, I opened the can of tomato juice that I had brought with me, just like Peter had asked.

He really didn't like it when I tried to drink his blood, or anybody's for that matter. He was afraid I'd hurt somebody. He was always like that: looking out for others and trying to keep everybody safe. It was really sweet of him.

He sat down and began eating while I was drinking the juice—which was very tasty! "So, how's your day going so far?" he asked in between bites.

I turned to face him and smiled. "Wonderful! This morning was great—I found out that my schedule would be changed like I asked—and I got a hundred percent on a difficult assignment in one of my other classes."

Things really were going my way; I now got to spend every class with Peter! Yay!

He nodded while taking another bite. "Good job."

"What about you? How's your day coming along?" I asked. Peter just shrugged.

Eh, so far so good," he quickly answered. He went quiet after that, and it looked like he was thinking _really_ hard about something—another thing he tended to do a lot. I decided that I'd give him some time to himself. I hummed to myself as I ate, looking around the room. A lot of those creepy boys kept staring at me, which was very weird. I bet that if they saw my true form, they'd get scared and run away, or look down on me for being different like…

Like those humans always did.

But then I had Peter! And he wasn't like any of them! He was really nice and very patient—even when I tried biting him when we first met. I didn't know what had happened to make him this patient, but I was really glad for it! He really was a nice guy.

Although for the past few days, Peter looked like he was getting more and more frustrated with something. And he'd make weird facial expressions; like he was actually talking to somebody, but…he was completely silent. He was also forgetting to eat. There was still a lot of food on his plate, but he looked really busy. I was about to ask him if everything was alright, when he suddenly jerked up, immediately turning around to look at a…a girl?

 _Wait, how did he notice her? He wasn't looking at her or—oh shoot, she's here. Quick, say something!_

"Oh, hello," I said slowly. Wow, this girl's hair was really pretty!

She smiled and nodded at me before doing the same for Peter. He gave her a short wave. "I was wondering if I could sit with you guys," began the new girl. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Feel free," Peter immediately replied, gesturing to the many empty seats around us. "Name's Peter, by the way. This is Moka."

The blue-haired girl gave a slight bow before introducing herself. "Kurumu Kurono. I'm in some of your classes, actually."

Oh yeah, she was!

"Yeah, I've noticed you before," I said. "You sit to my right in some of those classes, don't you?"

Kurumu nodded before taking a seat next to me. "I do. I've noticed you two hanging around a lot with each other. You guys close?"

I grabbed Peter and pulled him close. "Oh yeah, Peter's the best!"

I could feel Peter wriggling in my arms. "Nah, I just tried to be a nice guy," he said slowly while moving away. Why did he always do that? He seemed to slip away every time I hugged him and…he never hugged me back. Didn't he like me?

 _No, stop it Moka! Peter's not like those humans—if he didn't like me, he wouldn't stay with me, but he DOES like me, he always hangs out with me!_

Kurumu smiled and giggled. "You two _do_ seem very close," she commented. "It must be nice to meet a guy who doesn't gawk at every pretty girl that walks by."

Oh yeah, Peter was _really_ good at not looking at other girls. If he liked them, he was very polite about it and didn't stare. "Yeah, it's pretty nice," I replied while rubbing the back of my head. "To meet a guy who's not a pervert, I mean. It gets a bit awkward when guys are looking at me like that." It really was awkward. They always stared and they were really creepy about where they looked.

Kurumu's smile looked a little funny for a moment. "Oh yeah, it gets very, _very_ annoying when all the guys are looking at you," she replied. "I know I hate it."

I smiled at her. "So, why don't you tell us about yourself? How do you like Yōkai Academy so far?" I asked. Kurumu shrugged.

"It's an interesting experience," she replied. For the next few minutes, Kurumu told us her opinions of Yōkai Academy and a little more about herself. Peter was very quiet throughout the whole conversation. He mostly listened—he was a good listener. Kurumu eventually offered us some homemade cookies, which was very sweet of her! And the cookies were even sweeter!

"Wow, you're really good at baking," I remarked when I finished my cookie. "Maybe you could teach me one day?"

Kurumu only smiled and shrugged. "Maybe, who knows?" She glanced over at a clock on the far wall and stood up. "Lunch will be over soon," she announced. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'd suggest you guys do the same; later on in the year, the teachers get really picky about letting a student go to the bathroom right after lunch. They always say something like, 'you should have gone during the lunch break'. It's good to get into the habit of going while you can."

I blinked. "Huh, you might be right," I muttered before standing up and smiling at Kurumu. "Thanks for the advice!" I turned to Peter and gave him a small wave. "I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?

Peter just nodded, and as Kurumu and I turned to leave, I heard her stop and start talking. "Hey, after the bathroom break, we'll still have some time before lunch ends. You guys want to head outside afterwards and hang out a bit before the next class starts? The weather is gorgeous out there."

Oh, that was such a good idea! The weather outside really _was_ good! "Sure! That sounds lovely!"

Kurumu beamed at me. "Awesome! Whoever gets out there first, just wait for the rest of us." Peter said something that I didn't really hear, but we were already on our way out the door while he looked like he was heading outside.

I turned to Kurumu while we walked. "Hey, thanks again for those cookies. They really were delicious!"

Kurumu just smiled. "Oh, don't mention it. Sharing is caring, isn't it?"

"Yup!"

Kurumu just giggled before pausing. "Hey, I just remembered, there was a little incident with one of the school bathrooms. Toilet problems or something; the whole bathroom has been flooded. There's another one down this way," she said while gesturing to a hallway to our right. "But the walk there is longer."

"Oh that's fine," I replied. "I'd rather take a long walk to get to a working bathroom, rather than go to a flooded one."

Again, Kurumu's smile looked…funny, for a moment, but not like last time. Oh well, she can smile however she wants! Kurumu and I walked down the hall for several minutes, and I began to notice that there were a lot less people here than in the other areas of the school. Huh, weird.

Eventually, we finally saw a broken wooden sign that said "bathroom". Was…was this it? Flies buzzed around the sign, and through the door that led into the bathroom area, I could see stains on a very old, cracked mirror. "Um, Kurumu?" I asked unsurely. "This place doesn't look all that, um, sanitary."

Kurumu sighed. "Yeah, I know, but the other bathrooms are even worse. The only good one is the flooded one, and the whole reason it's flooded is because it's the _only_ bathroom people use. This is, sadly, the second best place to go."

"Oh…okay." We walked into the bathroom area, and I had to cover my nose. The smell was really, _really_ bad. The stall doors looked like they were rotting and the paint on them was peeling off, while the floor was old and unwashed. There were even a few flies buzzing around! This was the worst bathroom ever! Ugh, my stomach was starting to hurt…

"You know, Kurumu," I began slowly. Man, my tummy was _really_ starting to ache. "I think I'm going to go, I don't feel so good…"

Kurumu, who had also covered her nose, just jerked her head towards one of the stalls. "If you're going to throw up, there's a toilet right there…"

"Kurumu, I _really_ need to leave," I said between breaths. What was happening to me? "I don't feel so…so…" Before I knew it, I was on the ground. I felt a pair of arms loop under mine, and realized Kurumu must be picking me up. I could hear here saying something, but I couldn't…make it…out?

Was she _giggling_?

"Kurumu, wha—?"

"Shhh, just be quiet," she cooed. I was being dragged further away from the exit and closer to the back wall of the bathroom. "The poison will wear off in a little while."

Poison?!

"Kuru—"

"I _said_ be quiet," she growled. What on Earth was going on?! "As much as I'd like to hear you whine and cry, I've got things to do, and while you're sitting here, I've got my window of opportunity. Peter won't wait forever, now will he?"

Peter? What about Peter? "I…I don't understand," I whispered. "What are you doing?"

Kurumu sighed. "What part of 'be quiet' was so difficult to understand?" She shook her head. "You know what? Fine, I'll tell you, if only to see the look on your face when I take everything you love and smash it all to pieces."

She leaned down next to me. "You see, I'm a succubus, and I'm on a mission. I'm going to turn all the guys at this school into love slaves in order to save my people." She leaned back slightly. "But of course, _you_ had to get in the way, and all those brain-dead idiots fell for you instead of me. I got tired of your man-stealing, and I wasn't about to let you ruin my mission. The poison in that cookie I gave you will give me enough time to go and start seducing those boys while you sit here picking yourself up off the ground, if you could even manage that."

"B-but what does Peter have to do with this? He's-he hasn't done anything to you!"

Kurumu giggled. "Peter's a strong, healthy male, and with all the time you spend around him, taking him away will leave you a broken mess. With you out of the way, I can finally move on with my mission and save my people. So let me tell you what's going to happen: while you're here, I'm going to go seduce Peter with my love charm, and then I'm going to move on to the next guy, and the next, and the next, and by the time the poison wears off, I'll have a small army of boys practically worshipping me!"

She stood up. "The rest, I'll leave up to your imagination," she finished with a wink. "So long, Moka Akashiya. The next time you'll see me, I'll have my own personal harem, and Peter will be right there with them."

 _No! She can't do this!_

Kurumu laughed. "Now, just give me a sec, and I'll be out of your hair. And you'll be out of mine, _forever_." Kurumu kept dragging me towards a stall, and I would have resisted, but I felt so _weak_. I couldn't move, couldn't stop her. I just groaned as she pushed me into the stall, placing me on an old toilet seat and stepping back. "Don't worry, you'll be out of here soon enough. See ya!"

And with that, Kurumu shut the door to the stall, and I had to listen to her leaving while giggling to herself. I couldn't talk loudly enough to call for help, so I had to sit there, waiting helplessly while that girl went and stole Peter!

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. It wasn't fair! The first friend I ever had, and now he was about to be stolen from me, and for what?! What did I do to Kurumu?! Nothing! It wasn't _my_ fault that the boys just kept _staring_!

Suddenly, pink-red light filled my vision, and I managed to look down to find the rosary glowing and shaking slightly. What was happening?

 _ **"To be put into such a humiliation position..."**_

Who—what? Was that…?

 _ **"I'll**_ _ **tear that little whore's wings off!"**_

"Y-you," I whispered. "How are you…talking to m-me?"

 _ **"Listen, our window of opportunity will slip away quickly. The seal still holds strong, so our connection will be faint, but I can keep it up for a longer period of time by speaking quietly and using as little power as possible. I'll return when you can move. Wait for the poison to wear off, and then follow my instructions exactly. We're not letting that little succubus get away with this."**_

"But how are you doing this? You're talking through my rosary…" No reply. Somehow, _somehow_ , the other Moka was talking through the rosary. This…this wasn't normal. Was the power of the seal beginning to weaken?

 _Come on, calm down, the poison won't last forever, and the other Moka has instructions for me. She knows what she's doing…I hope._

Minutes ticked by like hours, and feeling slowly returned to my limbs. I was soon able to move, and before too long, I was on my feet. And while it felt like I was wading through water at first, I eventually stumbled out of the stall, straight into the bathroom wall. I caught myself quickly enough, and began slowly making my way out of the empty bathroom.

"H-hey," I muttered. "If you're there, I'm walking again. You said you had instructions for me, right?" Nothing happened. Oh no, nothing was happening!

Then, suddenly, the faint glow returned to my rosary.

 _ **"Good, you're on the move. Now, head to the cafeteria, and then go outside from there. That'll give you the best chance of making it to where Peter would have gone."**_

"Wait…shouldn't we tell the teach—"

 _ **"No. For one, the succubus will get off with little to no consequences except for ending up in the program for problematic students, which isn't much of a punishment. Besides, if the situation can't be handled immediately, Peter may be in grave danger."**_

"But you said he was an S-Class monster, didn't you?" I asked slowly. Peter was really, _really_ strong; he'd be able to fight off Kurumu, wouldn't he?

 _ **"S-Class or not, he is still a young male, and that girl is still a young succubus on the hunt for a potential mate. Plus, she mentioned that she's doing this to save her people, which means she may very well take drastic measures and do more than just charm a few boys. Peter could be the first of many to fall to her."**_

No! We couldn't let that happen! Peter was my first friend and I wouldn't let him be robbed of his free will like that! He protected me, and now it was my turn to save him!

I continued on my way, ignoring the boys who continuously stared at me. I eventually reached the cafeteria, but quickly saw that there was no sign of Kurumu or Peter.

 _ **"Outside, remember? You have to go outside!"**_

Oh, right. Silly me!

I ran outside as fast as I could, and started looking for either Peter or Kurumu right away. But they were nowhere to be seen. I couldn't find them!

 _ **"Quick, ask around and see if anybody else saw them. Ask if they've seen the succubus girl—she stands out more than Peter in a crowd."**_

"Right," I whispered before approaching the nearest student—a short boy with dark blue hair. "Um, excuse me?" I asked slowly. The boy turned around, as did his friends, and their eyes widened when they saw me.

"M-Moka Akashiya?!" shouted one of the boys. "Whoa, she's actually talking to us!"

"Um, guys," I interrupted. "Have you seen a girl with blue hair and purple eyes who's a little shorter than me? She's got this weird vest on and…" I trailed off as the boys began giggling to themselves in a very…weird manner.

 _ **"I'd suggest leaving at this point. It seems that they're having lewd fantasies about, well, you."**_

Oh come on! I needed help finding my friend, and this was still happening?! I turned and ran, looking around for any girls—they tended to stare less often than the boys.

 _ **"Hold on, I see something!**_ _ **To our right, look at the trees at the edge of the forest!"**_

I did as the other Moka said, but saw nothing. "What are you talking about?" I whispered.

 _ **"Look past the corner of the school and at the trees at the edge of the woods. Do you not see the webbing?"**_

The…webbing? I turned to where the other Moka had indicated, looking past the corner of the school, and after a few seconds, I found it: a long, flexible white rope-like object draped across the trees. I ran over there as fast as I could, which drew a lot of funny looks from what few students were still out here. The webbing wasn't much, but it was the only thing around here that had anything to do with Peter and his abilities.

 _ **"Listen, you must recall what happened the last time Peter was in a fight. I don't remember what happened, so you'll have to do that for us. What happened when Saizou attacked Peter?"**_

"Wait, why is that impor—"

 _ **"Because the webbing alone won't lead us to him or Kurumu! If you can remember how Peter reacted to being attacked last time, we might have a decent idea of where he went or what he would be doing right now. That is, assuming, he survived the succubus' initial attack on his mind."**_

Of course he did! He _had_ to have had! Regardless, we still needed to find him. Come on Moka, think! What did Peter do when Saizou transformed and attacked him? Let's see, Saizou first came up and attacked from behind and Peter dodged…somehow. Saizou got angry, he transformed, and then they went into the for—

I gasped; the forest! Peter had led Saizou into the forest to make sure nobody else was hurt! If he got into a fight with Kurumu, he would have led her into the forest! So the most logical place to check would be the woods right in front of me!

I began running into the trees, straight past the long string of webbing that was hanging high over my head.

 _ **"What are you doing? Where are we going?"**_

Oh yeah, the other Moka didn't know my plan yet. Oops!

"Peter led Saizou into the forest when they fought a few days ago, so I figured that he would have led Kurumu into the woods as well," I explained while I ran.

 _ **"Led? Why does he lead his opponents into the—ah, never mind. He wants to remove the threat from the other students, doesn't he?"**_

"Right, Peter prioritizes the safety of others in a fight. He and Kurumu may still be out here somewhere."

 _ **"Be careful; if you spot Peter and the succubus, do not approach them right away. We'll need to figure out whether or not Peter is under the succubus' control. If he has already fallen prey to her charm, he may attack you, should she command it."**_

I skidded to a stop. She was…she was right. What would happen if Peter had already been charmed by Kurumu? How would I stop him if he attacked?

 _ **"What's the matter? Why are we stopping?"**_

"What do we do if Peter attacks?" I breathed. An image of a pair of blank, hollow eyes staring out from a featureless, pitch-black face came to mind. Peter's true form. "I can't stop him if he's already under Kurumu's control, not on my own…"

The other me hesitated.

 _ **"You're right…if Peter were to attack you, you would have no way of defending yourself. If he is already lost to the power of the succubus, his full strength is at her disposal. She could simply have him kill you."**_

I shivered. The idea of being killed by my first friend here left me with a very sick feeling.

 _ **"Regardless, we still must find them. If the succubus already controls Peter, many other students may be at risk should she order him to attack. Even if Peter has already been taken over, we can still warn the teachers about that. However, we must confirm whether or not he is still in control of himself. If he is in his right mind, we will aid him, if not, we will warn the teachers. Keep moving."**_

I gulped, but did as she said. She was right: even if Peter was already lost, I still had to find out, and either help him or warn the school staff. An S-Class monster under the control of a succubus was a dangerous thing. Slowly, I began moving through the woods again. I could see bits and pieces of black and white substances hanging off the trees, and while the white…stuff reminded me of Peter's webbing, the black goo reminded me of his true form.

The other me went silent as we walked, and I found myself missing her instructions. I wasn't sure what to do in this situation; I wasn't smart like her, or brave like her, or powerful like her. I wasn't anything like her, nor was I like Peter, who possessed power along with the will and skill to use it. Both he and the other me were warriors—tall, proud, unmovable warriors who stood up and faced their problems head on. I couldn't even begin to compare.

 _ **"You're moping. Stop it. Now is not the time."**_

I snapped to attention at her voice, but remained quiet. If we were going to sneak up on Peter and Kurumu, we'd have to keep a low profile, and that started now. I crept quietly through the trees, searching for any sign of—

I saw something.

Far off to my right, I could see a shape jumping through the branches, and on occasion, swinging from them through the use of ropes that seemed to be firing out of the figure's wrists.

"It's him," I whispered.

 _ **"I can see him. And it looks like he's carrying somebody. There's no way to tell if he has succumbed to the succubus or not, not from this distance. You must get closer."**_

"How?" I asked as I began running. "He's so fast! I mean, look, he's already way down there!" It was true: Peter was incredibly quick and agile. When he was doing that weird swinging thing, he always moved with incredible speed. There was no way I could catch him on foot, and in the past few seconds, he had already gotten _very_ far away.

 _ **"You don't have to catch him; just follow his trail. Look, his webs are still hanging from the trees; just follow those. He'll stop eventually, and then we can find out if he's still sane."**_

I nodded. "Right!" For the next few minutes, I ran through the woods, following the trail of webs that hung from the trees that Peter had used to swing. The other me had gone silent while I ran, but when I finally made it out of the woods, it became clear to both of us that Peter was long gone, and she spoke up again.

 _ **"The trail of webs ends here. There is very little to swing from beyond this point, and if Peter went inside the school, I can only assume that he is on foot now."**_

"But then," I began between pants. Running for so long can get very tiring. "How are we going to find him? There's no trail left behind for us to follow! And lunch is over, so there are no more students out here to ask if they saw him."

 _ **"Hmm, this is a tricky one. Tell me, what did Peter do last time?"**_

"Last time?"

 _ **"After the fight with that disgusting orc; what exactly did Peter do? I am unable to recall the details clearly. I was still unused to being the one controlling the body, and had to rest after the fight."**_

After the fight with Saizou? What _had_ Peter done? I remember him picking up Saizou and carrying him to the teachers. The first place Peter had wanted to take him was…

"The infirmary," I said out loud. "Peter had wanted to take Saizou to the infirmary to make sure that he received whatever medical attention he might need. He didn't want Saizou to die!"

 _ **"Then that is where we'll go. The lead is small, but it's all we have to go off of. If Peter and the succubus girl did in fact fight and if Peter emerged the victor, then he was probably carrying that girl to the infirmary—not that I believe she deserves it."**_

"But that should be where we find Peter!" I finished. "Come on!"

 _ **"How am I supposed to 'come on'? You're the one in control of our body right now!"**_

Oh, right.

I ran off as fast as I could, making my way through the halls towards the same infirmary that Peter had taken Saizou to. A teacher had stopped me on the way there for running in the halls, but I had quickly told him that I needed to get to the infirmary. Despite the warning against running in the hall, he let me go, and I was there within a few minutes.

I barged in, gasping for air and frightening the nurse that was there.

Huh, this wasn't the same nurse as last time. Her hair was dark red instead of blond.

"Um, excuse me, Miss," she scolded. "You should try knock—"

I tried to pay attention to her, really I did! But I froze when I saw a sleeping Kurumu lying on the bed. However, Peter was nowhere in sight. "Ma'am!" I shouted. "Was there a tall boy in here a little while ago? His name should be Peter Parker!"

The nurse raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I recall him, but we need to discuss you method of entry."

"Ma'am, please! I need to find him! He could be in danger, and I need to make sure he's okay!" If he was already under Kurumu's control, he could be a danger to himself and to others.

The older woman blinked. "Danger? Young lady, is there something I should know about?"

"I just need to find him," I pleaded. "Please, just tell me where he went!"

The nurse eyed me in suspicion before sighing. "The young lad seemed fairly troubled, just like you. He said something about having to find a friend of his. He actually accused her," the woman stopped and pointed at Kurumu. "Of poisoning another student. He said that she admitted to injecting some sort of magic poison into a cookie or something." The nurse shook her head. "Frankly, I'm having a little trouble believing him—"

"He's not lying!" I shouted. "She _did_ poison a student: ME! And now Peter is probably looking for me!" Which meant he had probably gone to the bathroom where Kurumu had stuffed me. It was the last place she had seen me, and it was the first place he'd check if she had told him anything. I rushed out the door, leaving a confused nurse behind.

 _ **"I presume we are heading to that filthy bathroom again?"**_

"We are," I answered.

 _ **"Hmm, color me impressed. You put the pieces together on your own and realized that Peter would check there first.**_ _ **If you hurry, you should catch him; there's not enough room for him to go leaping down the hallway, so his advantage in speed will be greatly reduced."**_

She was right. While he could swing and leap very quickly, he couldn't sprint nearly as fast as he could swing. But he was still a _lot_ faster than me when it came to running, so I had to hurry. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, I found myself running faster and for longer than I was used to, and by the time I was halfway to the bathroom, I was panting and slowing down as the world around me seemed to blur and spin.

 _ **"Don't slow down. You might miss him again."**_

"Can't…run…much…longer!" I said between breaths. After running from the bathroom, to and through the woods, to the nurse, and back to the bathroom again, I was exhausted.

 _ **"Ugh, it's possible that the poison has weakened your body. It may be some time before you and I are back to full health. Damn that succubus."**_

I stepped over to a wall, leaning against it and trying to catch my breath. "I-I need a break," I breathed. "Too tired…"

 _ **"We'll lose Peter again! The sooner we find him, the sooner we can clear this all up! Remember, if the succubus managed to force her way into his mind before she passed out, many students may be in danger!"**_

…that was true. Other students could suffer because of Kurumu and what she might have done to Peter's mind, and he might even be out there right now, fighting against Kurumu's influence with all his might. I had to find him! I pushed myself off the wall and back onto my feet. But the moment I did, a male student whirled around the corner to my right.

I recognized him immediately.

"Peter!"

Peter skidded to a stop, turning to face me in surprise. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he rushed over. "Moka! Where were you?! Are you alright?!" Peter was in front of me almost instantly, helping me stay steady as I swayed on my feet.

"I'm fine," I assured. "Just tired, that's all."

Peter leaned back and exhaled loudly while running a hand through his hair. "Thank heavens," he breathed. "Alright, let's just get you to the nurse first. We can talk about all of this in a few minutes, but we need to make sure that the poison didn't cause any permanent or fatal issues. Kurumu said it shouldn't have, but she has no idea what you are and I don't want to risk that poison reacting badly with your vampire genes or anything."

"Peter, I'm fi—"

"Moka," he interrupted. "You've been _poisoned_. You're usually not meant to feel its effects until it's too late. Look, there's no harm in making sure you're alright, but if we don't, you may end up paying dearly for it later."

 _ **"He's right, you know."**_

I jumped at the other Moka's voice. She suddenly got much louder!

Peter jumped back too, blinking as he stared down at my glowing rosary. "What in the…?"

 _ **"The poison could have damaged us in a way that the succubus didn't anticipate. A full examination is advisable."**_

"You…" Peter began. "You're the other Moka. But how are you talking to us?"

 _ **"How do you think? Through the rosary. The seal is still too powerful for me to prolong a conversation with anybody other than my other half, so I will be returning to my slumber very soon. Peter, bring the other Moka to the nurse—she requires a professional examination and opinion."**_

"Do you really think the fact that I'm a vampire could have made a difference?" I asked.

 _ **"I don't think so. In fact, I doubt that our vampiric nature could have influenced the poison at all. However, I'd rather not risk both of us suffering when we have the opportunity to prevent it.**_ _ **Besides, just because the succubus said it shouldn't hurt us doesn't mean she was telling the truth."**_

Peter's eyes narrowed when the other me said that. "For her sake and yours, she better have been telling the truth," he growled.

 _ **"There is something else I'd like to address."**_

I blinked. What else was there to address?

Peter, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?" he asked.

 _ **"After that brat wakes up, I'd like to speak to her. In my own form. I'd like you to remove the rosary when that time comes. That girl and I need to talk."**_

Peter frowned. "Only if I'm there."

 _ **"Oh? And why do you wish to be present?"**_

"To make sure that neither of you hurt each other," Peter replied calmly. "I want to make sure everything goes smoothly."

 _ **"Well…I suppose there is no harm in you being there. Very well then, I will see the both of you soon. Do not forget that examination."**_

The rosary lost its glow after those words, and I knew that the other me had finally returned to her sleep. Peter, meanwhile, patted my shoulder. "Come on, let's get you to that nurse."

I nodded and walked with him. The walk itself didn't take long, and before I knew it, we were at the door of the infirmary. Peter walked in first, poking his head through the door. I followed him, and immediately frowned when I heard the nurse mocking us.

"Well, isn't this a treat?" she muttered sarcastically. "The two students with the loudest entry procedures, and they're both here now."

Ooohh, I did _not_ like this nurse right now!

"Ma'am," Peter began politely. "Moka here was the student that was poisoned. I'm here to request an examination for her."

The nurse's head hung low and she groaned. "You're serious, aren't you? Damn it, and here I was hoping for a calm day, and then you go ahead and bring me sleeping beauty here," she said while once again gesturing to Kurumu's sleeping form. "And Snow White with a lovely story of a poisoned apple."

"It was a cookie," Peter corrected.

The nurse's response was another groan. "You, pinkie, come with me." She stood up and waved me over. Just as I started to move, I stopped and turned back to Peter. He gave me a wave and a reassuring smile before speaking.

"Don't worry; I'll be back soon, right after I'm done explaining to my teachers why I missed, what, half of my classes? Then we'll get all this sorted out, and then this'll all be a bad memory."

I looked him up and down as he stood there with that calm expression and that small smile of his. For several seconds, I didn't move, which caused Peter to shift in discomfort.

I wanted to hug him.

Between helping out with the Saizou incident and this whole thing with Kurumu, he was a drastic change from the usual treatment I had received from the other monsters here, and his attitude towards me was nothing like those of the humans that I had met in my old schools.

But before I could do anything, I felt the nurse tug on my arm. "Hello? Earth to pinkie, Earth to pinkie! Anybody home in there, girlie?"

I jerked at the sudden touch. Oh man, I had totally spaced out! "Err, yes, yes I'm here, ma'am!"

"Good, then let's go. Stop checking out your friend over there. You two can do that stuff later."

"Um, we're not—" Peter began, but the nurse cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Man, this was a _really_ grouchy nurse. I just hoped she'd actually be thorough in her examination.

I could hear Peter snorting in annoyance behind me, and I really couldn't blame him. The last nurse was much nicer than this one.

"Alright Moka, be seeing ya," Peter called over his shoulder as he left.

"Yeah, see you soon!" I shouted after him. I smiled as I watched him go, because for once…

I had a true friend.

 **A/N:** _Apologies for the delay on this chapter; personal issues along with a good deal of experimentation with Moka's character added to the amount of time it took me to get this one done._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Moka's P.O.V:** _Alright, so writing this chapter presented a bit of a challenge, mostly because my grasp of Moka's character is very limited compared to what I know of Spider-Man. Anyway, the main issue was finding a balance between Moka's fair level of intelligence and her childish attitude. While the attitude may sometimes make her appear as though she's all looks and no brains, it's been shown that she's a pretty smart girl. Given the more serious nature of the plot of this chapter (at least, from Moka's perspective), I leaned more toward Moka's intelligent aspect, rather than her childish attitude. Although, I threw in a few moments/words that shined some light on that naiveté and innocence that makes up Moka's personality. On top of that, I tried adding in a bit of her 'inferiority complex' thing, where she views others as more powerful than her, and gets upset when she can't do things as well as those around her._

 **Poison Cookie:** _While obviously not how the original plot went, this time, Kurumu's plan is a little different. Why? Because, in canon, it never seemed as though she was attempting to save her species from extinction. All she was doing was looking for a mate (who then proceeded to fall for another girl), and when she found her destined one, you basically forget that the succubi are going extinct somewhere in the background because it's never mentioned again in the anime, and I haven't come across it in the manga yet (though I'm not very far at all in it). The point: Kurumu's plan has received a makeover for this story._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Zeemz:** _Peter is pretty serious about a lot of things because of a) the symbiote, and b) his circumstances. He's in a school that would execute him if they found out what he is and he isn't sure how to leave yet—he's in danger right now, so he's taking things pretty seriously. And thank you for the website linking to Spider-Man's physical abilities. I appreciate all the help and resources I can get for this story._

 **Lionblazeforever:** _Awesome! Rosario + Vampire, by the way, is a fun little series to check out if you want a few laughs and a weird storyline._

 **SonicAnime2010:** _Yeah, last chapter wasn't really meant to end off with a climactic battle or anything. In all honesty, it was a way to show what happened to Moka from her perspective. Otherwise, Peter would have learned in between chapters and then would have just recited it to the audience. As for Kurumu and the poisoned cookie, I can't say that I think it's overboard. In canon, she attempted to kill both Moka and Tsukune, which leaves her with two counts of murder. The poison didn't actually kill Moka, nor was it intended to, so actually, this Kurumu was tamer than the canon one._

 **Laxard:** _Glad to hear it!_

 **Arachnophile801:** _Fasten your seatbelt, because this is going to be one long reply._ _To start off, I have to say, I find it very interesting to read your predictions on the relationship that could possibly occur between Peter and Kurumu. I think the path I'm taking might surprise you :). And yes, exactly like the eeriness of something with no sound or expression. Also, in regards to the amount of time the webs/constructions of symbiotes remain in existence, I've got to say: I won't be following that rule. For one, let's say Spider-Man webs a criminal to a lamppost and walks away. Thirty seconds later, that criminal would be free, so I can only assume that writers adjusted the rule. For this story, I think I'll be following the whole "webs dissolve after an hour" law. On the topic of Kuyo's magic fire, you're right: one does not simply put it out with water or some other everyday method. However, extinguishing Kuyo's flame isn't the only way to give Peter a shot at him. My version of the Venom symbiote is a bit different from some of the other incarnations, and I think I've got a way I can exploit its abilities during the Kuyo battle. Emphasis on the "I think" part. As for martial arts lessons (get ready, because here's where I start tossing statistics and stuff), it's actually worth mentioning that Peter supposedly created his own form of martial arts which he dubbed 'the Way of the Spider', and it utilizes the spider-sense to the fullest. Granted, this was probably an older version of Peter, so this younger one is, at most, in the process of developing and perfecting his own style of fighting. A year of sweeping criminals—both normal and superhuman—off the streets has given him plenty of time to practice a large variety of attacks and combos, but I wouldn't say that he's invented a new martial art just yet. He is a master of several attacks that he uses often, yes, but he isn't perfect. It was actually also mentioned, contrary to what you said earlier, that Spider-Man is capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the most advanced masters of combat (including Captain America)—even while BLINDFOLDED. Again, this was probably an older, more experienced version of Peter, but it's not something that can be ignored. The ability to do all this come largely from the spider-sense, which is actually a lot more powerful than most people realize—it's not just an alarm, it's an omnipresent detection tool (this is how Peter swings through the city without having to look where he shoots his web lines). And since Peter's had a year to get accustomed to this supernatural sense, he is more than capable of exploiting it to great extent during combat. He is actually capable of dodging automatic gunfire from close range because of the spider-sense and his lightning-fast reflexes, and the average bullet moves at 1,700 miles per hour or 2,500 feet per freaking second. Dodging that at close range is, for lack of a better word, ridiculous, but Spider-Man still pulls it off (he is also said to be capable of sprinting at 200 mph, so I can only assume that his reflexes are absolutely insane when coupled with the spider-sense). My point here: I'm trying to find a middle ground between your input and some of the information I've come across. So, this Spider-Man might actually be capable of challenging even a martial arts prodigy because he's just so naturally talented—or, more accurately, because he's equipped with the survival abilities of a genetically modified super spider and enhanced by an alien symbiote whose species makes a habit of supercharging their hosts. Alright, just a bit more and you can start reading the actual chapter, so just bear with me. Thank you for your feedback on the Moka Interlude chapter, I really do appreciate it. I'm also surprised to hear that it's your new favorite chapter because I felt as though it were a weaker chapter on my part. I dunno, I guess that I was nervous about how people would respond to my way of writing Moka, but it's been met with positive feedback, so I guess I did something right. Now then, the bad news: I'm not sure if you were referring to my OC nurse from last chapter, or to the crazy nurse from the episode in which Yukari desires a more mature body, but at this point, I don't really plan on making use of either of those nurses. I'm really sorry if that got your hopes up. I feel like I've done that to you one too many times so far, so again, I'm sorry :(. HOWEVER, there is a bright side (I think). You mentioned that you were looking forward to seeing what else I changed with the story, and this chapter shows a LOT of changes that I made to the traditional Rosario + Vampire storyline, so I hope you enjoy it. Phew, that was a long one, but I enjoyed reading and responding to your reviews. Keep up the awesome feedback, it's been helping a lot with motivation, new ideas, and my overall mood. Thanks for everything!_

 **seem14:** _Thank you for the feedback regarding Moka's character. It's good to see that people are responding positively to the way I portrayed her, and someone else mentioned being slightly annoyed by the backtracking, so I'll try to stay away from that kind of stuff. I also checked out the stories you mentioned, and I've gotta say: they contrast with a few other successful stories I've read. What I mean is that, when writing in first person, most authors (both on this website and in real life) seem to keep it to one perspective per chapter (so, the entire chapter is written from the point of view of a single character). I think I'm a little more inclined to do that, as it seems a bit, for lack of a better word, neater. Now, onto your questions: 1) I'm not sure yet, but I'm thinking about giving somebody a taste of his blood (but since it's radioactive, the results might not be pretty). 2) Perhaps… 3) I understand what you're saying, but think of it this way: the species that monsters spend their lives hiding from are now gaining superpowers and evolving. The monsters are very hesitant about what they want to do at the time these events are all occurring. 4) I'm trying to find a way to throw some in, maybe during the summer break arc/saga, but no promises._

 **J of Darkness:** _Someone else actually said something similar, so I think I'm going to try and stay away from repeats of previous scenes. Thank you for the feedback._

 **A/N:** _Sorry again for the wait guys. I'm honestly really nervous about releasing this chapter, due entirely to the fact that I've made several changes to the canon storyline (I didn't mess up anybody's character, I just changed up the series of events), and I'm anxious to see how people respond to it. So, this chapter is an example of me jumping in with both feet after testing the water just a bit. Feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated._

 **READ TODAY'S EXPLANATIONS/CLARIFICATIONS!**

 **-Chapter 7: A Succubus' Story-**

"And after she fell asleep, I carried her to the infirmary," I finished. Moka nodded solemnly as she sat with her legs crossed underneath her on the sofa a few feet in front of me. As I finished recalling my fight with Kurumu and the events that led up to it, I found myself leaning back and sighing. Between hearing what Kurumu had done to Moka and explaining what had happened between her and I, I was exhausted.

Nearly two hours had passed since I dropped Kurumu off at the infirmary, and when Moka was released after having all traces of the poison removed from her system by means I didn't understand, we were sent off to one of Yōkai Academy's many lounge areas that were available to the student body. And now, after several minutes of us telling our stories to each other, we were left with an awkward silence as we sat there. The symbiote had calmed down considerably since Kurumu's little mind control stunt, so my partner was finally in a state of mind that didn't involve violent retaliation, which was a welcome change after today's events.

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling as I licked my dry lips, mulling over a word that had been stuck in my head since Moka had mentioned it.

Succubus _._

The other Moka had called Kurumu that on several occasions, but while lost in the heat of the moment, I had failed to really comprehend her words. Now, some time after things had calmed down, I finally had some time to ponder it.

Kurumu was a succubus. At least, that's what she told Moka in the bathroom, and it was what a lot of evidence had pointed to. I still didn't know what her full plan had been, but Moka had apparently been in the way, and I was…well, I wasn't really sure what I had been to Kurumu. An obstacle? A potential slave? I had no clue.

What I did know, however, was that I needed to find a book on succubi before the day was out. The lack of computers or any useful technology in the school meant that I'd have to check the library for all my information and actually search for the book I needed. And while the sun had yet to fall, the teachers had placed us in this lounge area and had asked us to wait. Moka and I had told them what had happened, and Kurumu had told her own story—though, whether or not she had fed the teachers lies or the truth was not something I knew yet.

"Do you think we'll be here for long?" Moka finally asked.

I shifted slightly to face her before answering. "No idea. I never had to deal with something like this before, and if I ever _did_ meet a succubus, I never realized it."

She responded with a slow nod. "I'm just happy nobody was hurt."

 _Yeah, nobody we know of._

The symbiote silently agreed with my thoughts. Just because Kurumu hadn't hurt anybody in front of us didn't mean that we were her first targets.

Ever since Moka had been released, we had been waiting here for word from the teachers on what would happen. The other Moka had remained silent, probably recovering and resting. Outside the stories we swapped, nothing of interest had happened since the incident with Kurumu. Minutes ticked by as we sat in silence, waiting to be contacted in regards to Kurumu and her actions. Finally, a tall, balding teacher entered the room with a polite knock.

"I have news," he announced. This wasn't a teacher I was familiar with, and I immediately assumed that he was part of the staff that dealt with problematic students, as I had never seen him teaching a normal class. From what little I knew, the effort to sort through this whole mess was a collaboration between a few staff members who taught problematic students and the student-controlled Public Safety Committee. The Committee provided a little muscle in case things got violent, while the staff members provided a few intelligent minds to analyze and interpret the evidence. Though, it was rumored among students that getting actual help from the Public Safety Committee was next to impossible for some reason.

I'd have to look into this Committee if my stay here was prolonged.

"Miss Kurono has told us her half of the story, and it seems to back up the ones the two of you had told us," explained the teacher.

 _So Kurumu told the truth…or at least, she didn't tell any lies that could be easily detected._

"We have staff members investigating the matter as we speak," said the man. "Within a few hours, we should have enough evidence to either prove or disprove all of your stories."

"Whoa, that quickly?" Moka exclaimed.

"Indeed," replied the teacher. "As for your request to see Miss Kurono: we asked her about it. She is willing to speak to the two of you."

 _Good, because she still owes Moka an apology. That and the other Moka wanted to chat._

"But it will have to wait until tomorrow after classes end," finished the man. "There are a few things we need to take care of prior to allowing her to see others—her own health being high among the list of priorities."

"Anything relevant?" I asked, only noticing afterward that I had cut Moka off as she was about to say something—possibly the same thing.

The teacher hesitated. "Miss Kurono's plan has been revealed to us in full at this point, and there seems to have been a lot of…peer pressure involved. Or, rather, peer pressure is the easiest way to describe it. There are others out there that need to be dealt with before something like this can occur again."

Moka shot up from her seat instantly. "There are more succubi?!" she asked in fear. I didn't blame her; if these 'peers' were friends of Kurumu's, Moka may have been their prime target.

The older man frowned. "I'm going to ignore the fact that you are aware of her true form, but, seeing as the two of you were targeted by her, I supposed you deserve some closure: these other succubi aren't at Yōkai Academy. It seems as though Kurumu and a family member of hers were approached by some…rather desperate members of their race prior to attending this school."

I raised an eyebrow. "Her family was involved?

"Yes, but Miss Kurono has assured us that there was no abuse or violence involved with these succubi," replied the man. "It was as I said: peer pressure.

"Uh huh," I said slowly. "And this is being handled…how?"

The teacher sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, before I say anything, I want to remind you of something that you've probably already heard from the other teachers, but I'll say it anyway: any and everything involving this whole situation stays between you, Miss Akashiya, Miss Kurono, and the staff members involved. We don't need rumors spreading or panic among the students, are we clear?"

I nodded. "Crystal."

"Of course," Moka confirmed.

"Good, then here's what I'll tell you: Miss Kurono and a staff member, along with a few representatives of the Public Safety Committee are on a temporary trip to the human world to tie up the loose ends that are the other succubi. Once they're dealt with and calmed down, and once we're sure we don't have any other succubi that were in on their little plot, everything will return to normal. I'm sorry, but that is all I'm permitted to reveal. The nature of Miss Kurono's plan and those involved in it are details that we're not sure we're ready to release to the two of you yet."

The guy had me at human world. _Somehow_ , Kurumu was on her way back to the human world, to _my_ world. I had to know how, but asking now was probably one of the worst times possible. Just as with Saizou, making it seem as though I wanted to leave so soon after an incident like this might give the impression that I'm fleeing the scene—which I technically was, but not because of a crime.

It was for survival.

"But we're not certain yet," continued the teacher. "You will be informed of new developments in our investigation, should they be relevant to you, but otherwise, you may return to your school life. You probably have plenty of work to make up for after the classes you missed anyway," he finished before turning and walking towards the door. However, he stopped as his hand reached for the handle.

"One more thing," he began. "Since the two of you were so closely involved in this incident, both of you must remain on school grounds until everything is sorted out. It is a precaution—I'm sure you understand."

Oh, I understood alright. Somewhere in the back of their minds, the teachers suspected that Moka or I—or both of us—might have forced Kurumu to lie. In essence, we were also suspects in this little investigation that was going on.

 _And THIS is partially why we didn't cripple Kurumu. Because the teachers are taking this one much more seriously than Saizou's case, and having Kurumu come in with a broken neck and missing wings would have painted me in a very negative light._

The symbiote almost snorted at my words. In fact, if it could, it probably would have. It was perfectly capable of understanding the logic behind my decision on letting Kurumu off the hook with so little injury, and it _did_ understand—but that didn't imply that it was completely satisfied.

I only wished that my partner could better appreciate the fact that Kurumu seemed capable of change. Despite her regret, the alien had still been screaming for revenge, and while it had been upset with me for denying it that pleasure, it had calmed down considerably since then. However, it was still angry that our stay here was being prolonged because of Kurumu.

"Anyway, that is all," said the balding man before he saw himself out, leaving Moka and I together in the empty room. We spent several seconds in silence, each waiting for the other to talk.

Finally, I spoke. "How do you feel? You know, after the poison and everything?"

Moka took a breath. "I'm fine. Just tired, that's all. It's been a long day."

I chuckled, drawing a small smile out of Moka. "That's for sure. You want to go get some tomato juice from the vending machine? Might help you feel better if you've got some of that stuff in your system."

Moka stood up and nodded, her optimistic attitude beginning to shine through once more. "Sure! That sounds like a great idea!"

After that, I led Moka to the vending machine in question, and got her some tomato juice. She drank it down happily, and some color returned to her cheeks. As happy as she was, however, we had to break up the meeting and go make up for lost time. We had missed a lot of classes that day, and there was a small pile of schoolwork waiting for each of us. We parted ways and went to our dorms. I didn't know how much Moka had missed, but by the time I entered my room, there were several papers that required my attention. As much as I wanted to get a book on succubi from the library, I knew that I had to get this homework out of the way first.

By the time I finished it, however, it was getting late. Kurumu's stunt ate up the afternoon for me, and when I finally got to my schoolwork, it was already late in the afternoon. Now, the evening was beginning to approach. At that point, I had decided that running off to the library to retrieve a book that may or may not be there—plus the time it'd take to actually _find_ it—wasn't worth the trouble. Instead, I simply went to bed, and finally closed my tired eyes and rested.

The next morning, a series of knocks from my door dragged me from my sleep. The symbiote had created a mildly-presentable set of clothes around me as I stumbled to the door, and by the time I reached it, I at least looked like I wasn't still in a pair of boxers and an undershirt. I groggily opened it, only to find an unimpressed female teacher waiting for me.

"Peter Parker, I presume?" she asked. I nodded. "There's been a change of plans. Kurumu Kurono would like to see you now."

 _That_ snapped me out of my stupor. It took all of two minutes for me to close the door, make myself presentable, and walk back out to follow the teacher. I didn't recognize her, but the uniform she wore marked her as one of the more serious teachers that taught the classes that consisted of problematic students. Saizou more than likely had at least one class with this woman.

As I was led out of the dorms and into the main school building, I turned to the teacher. "Am I allowed to ask Kurumu what her plan was, or is that something that she can't answer?"

"Feel free," the teacher answered without hesitation. "We have decided that you and Miss Akashiya have the right to know."

Wonderful. I could finally find out why I had almost become somebody's 'love slave' and why Moka was poisoned. And speaking of Moka…

"Where is Moka?" I asked uncertainly. "She wanted to speak to Kurumu as well."

"She did," replied the teacher. "But Miss Kurono requested to speak to you first. It seems she's not ready to face Miss Akashiya just yet—she's…ashamed, I would say. We believe that she is trying to take things one step at a time, and she decided to start making amends with you."

 _That…makes sense, I suppose._

The symbiote was in agreement, but it was still prepared to fight if need be. Out of the two of us, it was always the one that anticipated violence, even in the calmest of situations. I was eventually dropped off at another lounge area for the students, though, given how early it was, nobody was around yet—save for a young-looking guard who stood by the door. I assumed that this was one of the few students that the Committee had supplied.

He looked incredibly bored and incapable. Did this 'Safety Committee' really care so little?

The teacher stopped in front of the door and gestured to it. "Miss Kurono is just inside," she explained. "Enter when you're ready."

Despite my confidence, I took a deep, calming breath, which was as much for me as it was for my partner.

 _Alright, stay frosty. No attacking, no violence, not unless she strikes first._

But I seriously doubted that Kurumu would try anything after all that had happened. I slowly opened the door after an approving nod from the teacher and poked my head inside. I immediately noticed Kurumu sitting on a couch, shyly tapping her index fingers against each other. She didn't seem to notice me so I cleared my throat, which caused her head to snap up at the sudden noise.

Her eyes widened when they met mine, and she got up from her seat, rising to her full height. I gently closed the door behind me and took a step forward, noting that, while she looked a little tired, Kurumu seemed to be in perfect health. That was good—it meant that I hadn't inflicted any lasting or severe damage during our fight.

"Good morning," I said awkwardly in an attempt to break the silence.

Kurumu blinked, but slowly replied. "Um, good morning," she said.

 _This is going to be one awkwardly conversation. Might as well try and kick things off. The sooner we start, the sooner we end._

"Look," I began. "This is pretty weird for me, and I imagine that it's the same for you, so let's just avoid beating around the bush and cut to the chase. If you want to say anything, go for it; otherwise, I've got questions."

Kurumu hesitated, and I could see her cheeks flush from embarrassment. No doubt, this was something of a humbling—and a humiliating—experience. Finally, she took a shaky breath and shut her eyes. "Peter…I owe you a _massive_ apology," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "And I understand that a mere 'I'm sorry' won't make up for everything that I did…"

I could see moisture collecting in the corners of her eyes, shortly before a few small tears slid down her cheeks.

"But… _I'm sorry_ ," she whispered. "For everything I did—to you and to Moka—and for everything that I had tried to do." She shook her head as her shoulders gently trembled. " _I'm sorry_. I don't have anything else I can say, and there's nothing I can offer to make up for what I did…all I have is an apology," she finished while tilting her head forward in a bow.

I watched her in her helpless state. The bowed head, the tears, the pain in her voice—the pain of _guilt_. I watched her, this misguided girl, and for a split second, my vision changed, and all I could see was a face; a face with green skin, wide eyes overflowing with psychotic glee, and a mouth that hung open while it shrieked with maniacal laughter.

And then, the image vanished, and all I could see was Kurumu.

She wasn't _him_. She wasn't anything like _him_. This wasn't a madman that took a sadistic pleasure in watching others suffer, this wasn't a murderous psychopath that lobbed bombs at innocent people, this wasn't a complete _monster_. I just couldn't believe it, couldn't see that violent spark that I saw in so many others—that I saw in _his_ eyes.

This wasn't the Green Goblin.

This was a lost girl. A lost girl that was looking to redeem herself, and she was starting it all with an apology. And the outcome of this apology may very well stay with her for the rest of her life.

"I forgive you," I said, just loud enough for her to hear. "I accept your apology."

Kurumu stiffened, shortly before her head slowly rose, and a pair of puffy, purple eyes looked at me in confusion. "You…what?" she breathed.

"I forgive you," I repeated. "I heard your apology, and I accepted it."

Kurumu continued to stare dumbly at me, her eyes searching me for something. She shook her head in disbelief. "Why?" she whispered. "How?"

I hesitated, but only for a moment. "Because you showed regret. Because, when I look at you, I don't see a monster. I see a girl who has been misguided and influenced in all the wrong ways. I believe that you're capable of change, and forgiveness would be a push in the right direction for you."

As angry as I had been with this girl, as angry as I still _was_ for what she had done to Moka, I still couldn't see her in the same light as I saw the men and women who I had fought in the past. I had met too many people who refused to turn their backs on their criminal past, too many who just refused to _stop_. So when someone was making an attempt to change and to correct their ways, I was willing to help them become a better person. Kurumu was going to pay, yes, but I wasn't going to be the one to make her do it. The school's own justice system would have to see to that.

 _Take note, symbiote. This is forgiveness._

My partner remained quiet as it watched the scene unfold. It too was unused to someone trying to turn from their past. We were both accustomed to criminals resisting until they just couldn't fight anymore, save for petty thugs and the whatnot—they tended to give up pretty easily and just accept defeat, but that didn't mean that they were willing to change. The sad truth was that we were both used to fighting an enemy that would rather die than submit, that would rather go down fighting instead of turning over a new leaf.

"But make no mistake," I added. "I forgive, but I don't just _forget_. You may be trying to change, and I respect that, believe me I do, but that isn't going to erase what you tried to do. You're getting a second chance, not a make-my-mistakes-go-away card. You still need to own up to what you did…and apologize to Moka."

Kurumu flinched when I said that name.

"And I think it's only fair to warn you," I continued. "That if I find out that you willingly decided to turn back to your old ways later on, I'm going to be a lot less forgiving. But if I find out that you _lied_ to me just to buy yourself more opportunities, you and I: we're going to have _major_ issues, and I won't hold back _nearly_ as much as I did last time. Are we clear on that?"

Kurumu stood still for several seconds before slowly nodding her head. "I understand," she whispered. "It's to be expected that you'd react like that if I lied to you. And…you're right: I owe Moka an apology too; maybe even a bigger one than I owed you."

"You do," I confirmed. "But…there's something I'd like to ask you."

Kurumu perked up slightly. "What is it?"

I took a breath. "Why'd you do it? What was the purpose of…all this? Why did you poison my friend? Why did you come after me? What was the goal of it all?"

The blue-haired girl hesitated, timidly rubbing her elbow with her other arm. "Do you really want to know?"

"I think you know the answer to that one."

Kurumu sighed before gesturing to the empty sofa across from where she was standing. "You might want to take a seat. This story is…it might be a lot to take in at first."

I glanced at the couch, and then back to Kurumu. "I think I'll stand. " Kurumu blinked in confusion before accepting it and sitting down on her own sofa.

"Do you by any chance know what I am?" she asked.

"A succubus, if what I've been told is correct."

Kurumu nodded slowly. "Yup, that's what I am. A succubus." She paused and sighed. "Do you know our story? About what happened—about what _is_ happening to my people?" she asked. I shook my head. "We're dying," she said with no small amount of sadness. "We're…we're nearing extinction."

I frowned, but said nothing, instead waiting for her to continue. Kurumu audibly swallowed. "Are you familiar with succubus mating rituals? Our traditions?"

"I know nothing more about your kind than a few rumors that popped up here and there. Just assume that I know nothing about the succubi."

"Fair enough," Kurumu replied. "You see, a succubus' goal in life is to find her Destined One—or her 'Mate of Destiny', as it was once called. We do this by…" She hesitated. "By hypnotizing a large group of males and carefully choosing one to be our mate."

I stared at her in disbelief. "You _what_? You hypnot— _why_?! Why would you do that?!"

Kurumu sighed. "I should have known you'd react like that," she mumbled.

"Kurumu, I know nothing about your species, remember?" I asked. "This custom or whatever: it goes against everything I've learned in the human world!"

"Well…" Another pause. "It's a tradition, and it's efficiency at its finest for us. Succubi were never a race that could call itself numerous, so finding our Destined One was a top priority in our lives. Hypnotism was a quick way to find the truth. Through it, a succubus could learn everything about a potential mate without him being able to lie to her. It helped avoid a union in which a succubus' chosen mate ended up being, err, incompatible with her personality or morals. The Destined One was, long ago, the only male that a succubus would be willing to reproduce with. Failure to find your Destined One was looked down upon, but pursuing a mate that wasn't willing to be with you or a mate that decided to leave you later on would..."

She took another shaky breath.

"Let's just say that having your Destined One reject you or leave you is the worst thing that can possibly happen to a succubus," she whispered. I raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. There was obviously much more to this story, and I wanted to hear it, and so did my alien partner.

"And for a long, long time, everything worked as it should have," she continued. "Succubi would seduce men from various races, learn everything about them, and then choose their mate. It was the natural order of things, and it was all going so…so _perfectly_." Her fists balled. "We thought it'd stay like that—that we'd always be able to continue on with our way of life. But no, fate had to slap us across the face!"

Her expression changed, and I could see a little anger cross her face.

"So many things changed since those days," she whispered. "Our kind—we were built to survive in the environment of the past. Back before the idea of a human form became so popular, back when humans weren't overrunning the whole planet, the succubi _thrived_. Now, we've been reduced to what basically amounts to a handful."

I frowned. "How exactly did that happen?"

Kurumu snorted in a humorless manner. "The story is a long one, and I don't really want to get into it…Like I said though, back in ancient times, succubi thrived, but in modern society, we just don't fit in. We weren't equipped to live in a world where we couldn't show our true forms."

"I'm not following," I said. "Care to clarify?"

The blue-haired girl sighed. "In modern times, we succubi have a very difficult time getting by. As you know, we search for our Destined One, but we're not allowed to mate with humans. Again, as you've probably figured out, our ability to charm doesn't come with some sort of built-in memory wiper. Only the strongest of succubi could learn to remove memories, but that kind of power was beyond most of my kind. In fact, succubi powerful enough to erase memories are, and always were, _exceptionally_ rare. It took an incredible amount of experience and study to learn how to manipulate the mind to that level, and the majority of succubi never reached that point."

She paused for a breath. "So, naturally, we avoid hypnotizing humans like our lives depend on it—which they might. If we did hypnotize one, we wouldn't hurt them with the charm itself, but they'd remember being hypnotized and pressed for answers. If the humans found out, news would spread, _fast_. Our tradition risked exposing our kind, and so the succubi are essentially unable to look for our Destined Ones because _everyone_ has a human form now. And monsters are now all hidden within a sea of humans."

"So finding your Destined One in the human world is out of the question," I muttered. "The mere presence of humans creates too big a risk."

Kurumu nodded. "Exactly."

It didn't take a genius to start deciphering Kurumu's plan. Here was a school where everyone—or, _seemingly_ everyone—was a monster. Here, Kurumu would be capable of finding her mate, but that didn't make any sense: if she was just going to find her Destined One, she'd have to have let the other students go, and yet, she had showed incredible regret when I implied that she held on to those students for the rest of their lives. Something wasn't adding up here, and both the symbiote and I knew it.

"Finding your Destined One was part of the plan, wasn't it?" I asked. Kurumu nodded. "But that wasn't all either, was it?" I continued. Again, Kurumu nodded.

"There was more to the plan, yes," she whispered. "Originally, I was going to find my Destined One, and then release the other students. That was what my mother and I had wanted, but…a few days before I left for Yōkai Academy, my mother and I were approached by a few old friends of hers—succubi who were too old to attend Yōkai. They had a slightly different idea in mind."

This must have been that peer pressure that the teacher had mentioned yesterday. "Go on," I said softly.

Kurumu took a breath. "They saw the students here as a massive opportunity. Those succubi wanted them to be a part of their efforts to help revive my race."

"So those students…" I began.

"The plan was for me to look for a Destined One among the students I seduced," said Kurumu. "If I found one, great. If not, oh well. Either way, I was supposed to send back a small group back to the human world the moment I could, and they'd be gathered by those other succubi who would, um, who would…."

"Who would what?" I asked. "Look for their Destined Ones? You said that these succubi were older—why would they look for Destined Ones among students?"

"They wouldn't. They planned on—"

I blinked in confusion before my jaw dropped in realization. "Oh no…you don't mean—you _couldn't_ —"

The purple-eyed succubus shot up from her seat, a panicked look on her face. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't take it the wrong way! Look, the term 'love slave' is an old one, and I think it would be easier for you to understand if I called it a love _thrall_. The students I would have sent back to the human world would have been received by the other succubi. They would have been fed and cared for while the others called younger succubi to the scene."

"And these younger succubi would have searched for their Destined One among these students that you kidnapped?" I asked angrily. "Because that's what this ultimately was: an attempt at kidnapping."

A kidnapping attempt that left a lot of unanswered questions. Something about this whole plan—besides the obvious—didn't sit well with me. The whole thing just felt too…

Stupid.

Yes…stupid. The symbiote's word of choice to describe the plan was surprisingly accurate. The whole thing felt too inconvenient, to unproductive. Dragging a small group of students into captivity, only to have a group of succubi comb through them in search of a Destined One? There was no efficiency to it—if the goal was to help repopulate, they were doing a miserable job of it.

 _Something's not adding up again_.

"So this kidnapping attempt of yours," I began. "What else was there to it? What _exactly_ would have happened to those students?"

Kurumu withdrew slightly, fidgeting in discomfort. "They would have been released eventually…" she offered weakly.

"Uh huh, yeah, after how long?" I pressed.

"A couple months at most…they'd have been released after a sizable group of succubi had had the chance to look for their Destined One among them," she said with a whimper.

"A couple _months_?!" I asked incredulously. "What on Earth would posses you to do something like that?!"

"It wasn't my plan!" Kurumu shouted. "I told you, I wanted to find my Destined One! The others were the ones who wanted to give other young succubi a chance at finding their Destined Ones! Look, I was stupid, I _get that_! I'm not trying to shift the blame or anything, but it _wasn't my idea_!"

"You seemed plenty engrossed in actually carrying out that idea though," I muttered. "You were pretty determined to beat me back there. No hesitation."

"I _couldn't_ hesitate!" she cried. "They said that, if I looked weak, somebody would take advantage of it! The other succubi told my mom and I that I _had_ to make it look like I was invested in this!"

"And now you're regretting it?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes!"

"Then why'd you go along with it?" I pressed. "You seem so hesitant now, like you're having second thoughts, so what convinced you to try this in the first place?"

Kurumu hesitated. "I…I don't know. I thought it was going to help save my race. I had several older succubi telling me that I was our species' last hope at repopulating, and I guess even my mom bought into their lies. She must have been desperate to see our kind being saved. As for me, when you've got a bunch of adults telling you it's the right thing to do, you start believing it yourself."

"Was your mother as comfortable with this plan as the other succubi?" I asked. "Or did she have doubts like you did?"

"I…" Kurumu paused. "I think she had doubts…" She shook her head. "Gah! I was so _stupid_! Why didn't I see that this was a bad idea?! If Mom was skeptical, why didn't we _both_ just refuse?! Why couldn't I have just gone along with the original plan and just looked for my Destined One?!"

I looked her up and down, continuously pondering the question: what _had_ convinced her to do this? She seemed so hesitant now, so doubtful of her own actions. Again, it felt as though something wasn't quite right.

The symbiote didn't completely believe this girl, but it pondered the same question.

"You seem to have been _very_ misled," I muttered. "And your mother as well. Even adults can be influenced in the wrong ways. Those other succubi seemed to have played off of your mother's fear of extinction and her desire to see her kind flourish again. The goal—saving your species from extinction—was noble. The means, however, were not justified. You can't ruin innocent lives to save your own kind. They weren't at fault, and they shouldn't be sacrificed for the cause."

"I know," whispered Kurumu. "You taught me that—taught me something that nobody had bothered to do in the past. Mom, on the other hand, spent a lot of time teaching me about succubus history and traditions, as well as about how to properly use my charming ability. She had taught me that I shouldn't feel bad for using a man—"

"Your mother was wrong," I cut in. "I don't care what race you're a part of; you don't have the right to use others like that."

The succubus winced slightly at my words. "But she's my mom," she argued. "Who was I supposed to listen to?"

"I'm not blaming you for listening to her," I replied. "I'm just pointing out that she was wrong when it comes to how you should treat others."

Kurumu's shoulders shook slightly. "I just don't know who to listen to anymore," she whispered. "And I just don't get how those other succubi got me on board with all of this. Or Mom. She may have done some…questionable things in the past, but I just can't imagine her agreeing with all of this, now that I look back on it. This just _doesn't_ _make sense_."

I frowned. Kurumu didn't understand how she got into this situation, and she didn't get how her mother could have approved it either. That was two counts of people acting seemingly out of character. If she was serious, there may have been something else at play here…

 _Two people acting strangely after talking to a handful of succubi…_

The symbiote made the connection before I could, and as the theory flowed into its mind, it was projected into my own, and I found myself freezing in place. "Kurumu," I slowly began. "How old were these succubi that you and your mother dealt with?"

Kurumu blinked. "Uh, I don't know? They looked like they may have been older than Mom, but not by much. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know how experienced they were in manipulating the mind?" I asked.

The succubus cocked her head. "Where are you going with this?" she asked in confusion.

"Do you think it's possible that those succubi got into your head somehow?" This was a long shot, but it was worth a try. "Do you think that they could have charmed _you_?"

Kurumu opened her mouth and then closed it several times. "I…no, impossible. The charm barely works on women, especially other succubi, and I would have remembered the whole thing. The charm doesn't erase memories."

"What if it wasn't complete hypnotism?" I pressed. "What if it was something subtle—as in, what if it wasn't the charm ability at all? What if it was something that made the plan seem more…acceptable in your eyes? Maybe some kind of persuasion-type thing? You don't know how old these succubi were—they could have been ancient for all we know. Or just outrageously proficient in this hypnotism practice your kind has."

Kurumu sat still, her eyes glued to mine as she digested the information. "You said your mother had doubts, right?" I continued. "So she was initially against this idea?"

"Yes," Kurumu breathed. "And so was I…"

"And then, suddenly, both of you are on board?" I asked. "And now you're looking back and you don't understand why you did all this? This may be more than simple misguidance."

Realization was slowly beginning to grow on Kurumu's face, and I could see her eyes narrowing. "But-but that would mean that I—that my mother and I were…"

"Used," I finished. "You were in the right place at the right time to carry out all of this—but it seems that somebody wanted you to be doing it for them and not for yourself. It makes sense, if you think about it."

 _And it might explain why this plan doesn't make sense. I just can't believe that the means were so…asinine. There's just no sense to this plan! The lack of productivity isn't just a little error that was overlooked, so either this was all orchestrated by an idiot, or there's more going on behind the scenes. And if Kurumu was hypnotized, there is no reason to believe that what she had been told about the plans for the students was true._

"Son of a bitch," Kurumu whispered before slamming her foot on the floor. "Son of a _bitch_!" she shouted. "They used us!" I could see a dark tail suddenly start swishing angrily behind Kurumu as her face contorted in anger. "I come here to look for my Destined One, and what do those harlots do?! They turn me into their pawn! And Mom too!"

"Kurumu," I said firmly. "We need to get all this information to the teachers. Those succubi could try something again, and they might cause real harm this time."

"You're right," she spat. "Come on, we need to make sure those succubi are caught and questioned again! If they really did use some sort of persuasion magic on Mom and I, I refuse to be the one to take the fall for them!"

Kurumu rushed to the door, passing me as she did so. I moved to follow, but found myself honestly wondering: just what had I gotten myself into?

I followed Kurumu as she flung the door open, immediately turning to face the woman that had brought me here as she guarded the door. I frowned when I realized that she and the other guard had probably been standing there the whole time. Which meant that both she and the other guy had probably heard Kurumu's outburst, and yet didn't enter the room.

If I had heard someone screaming like that, especially given the circumstances, I would have rushed in. So why didn't these two do the same?

"Miss Kurono," I heard the teacher say as I approached. "I believe you are speaking to the wrong person. You need to take this to the office and speak to Mister Amori—you remember him from yesterday, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Kurumu began. "That was the short guy who escorted me to the human world, right?"

"Right," replied the female teacher. "Take whatever new information you have to him. I'm just here to make sure the meeting between you and Mister Parker goes well."

"Got it!" said Kurumu. "Come one Peter, let's—"

"I'll have to ask that Mister Parker remains here, for now," interrupted the woman. "He and I need to have a word."

I blinked, and both Kurumu and I looked at the teacher. "Is something wrong?" I asked warily. Was I in trouble?

I could practically feel the symbiote shaking its figurative head. It argued that I hadn't done anything out of the ordinary that would warrant a scolding. This must have been something else.

"Nothing is wrong," replied the teacher. "We simply need to speak. Miss Kurono, go see Mister Amori. He will be able to follow up on any new leads you may have." She then turned to the student from the Committee. "You, go with her."

Kurumu nodded before hesitantly turning to me. "Um…bye?" she offered.

I gave her a slight nod. "Good luck." Kurumu was clearly unsure as how to respond, so she stood there awkwardly before finally turning and running off to find 'Mister Amori', whoever that was. The student from the Safety Committee followed her as she left, and I turned to the female staff member next to me.

"So, we needed to have a word?" I asked. She nodded.

"Indeed. It's on the topic of this hypnotism theory you formulated," she explained.

I was about to nod, but stopped. "How did you know about that?" I asked slowly.

The woman smirked. "You think we'd leave the two of you alone together in a room? After what happened? No, the staff cast a few spells, and the conversation was monitored. If things started going south, we'd have intervened."

Again with the magic and the spells. Yet another thing I needed to research while here. I'd probably never get another chance to look into the history of species nobody knew existed, which meant I'd probably never be able to learn about this magic from those who practice it again.

And then there was the fact that the staff eavesdropped.

"Oh," I said slowly. I shouldn't have been surprised at that—it was stupid to think that the conversation wouldn't have been monitored to begin with. "So, the hypnotism theory?"

"Yes, about that: we already suspected something of the sort," muttered the woman. "We have yet to confirm it, but we'll soon know whether or not Kurumu was under any sort of magical influence as of late. If so, I fear that these succubi that we were told about are less stable than we initially believed."

I ignored the fact that she had just claimed that the staff was capable of somehow detecting magical residue because there was something even bigger I needed to address. "Wait, you already suspected it?" I asked. "Then why wasn't Kurumu informed?"

"We had no solid evidence as of yet, and we didn't want to give Miss Kurono any excuse for her behavior, lest she was lying about the whole thing. Until we can confirm that she was actually under magical influence, we won't be telling her anything."

I paused. "But that plan went out the window when I voiced my theory, didn't it?" I asked awkwardly.

The teacher smirked. "It did. However, this can't be held against you; you had no idea. I just thought I'd inform you that we were on top of this. And…I'd also like to tell you that the few staff members who monitored the conversation, myself included, are impressed with the way you handled Miss Kurono, specifically your response to her apology."

I swayed slightly. "Um…thanks, I guess? There is something I'd like to say though." The woman blinked, but gestured for me to continue. "The plan those other succubi cooked up," I started. "It doesn't really seem to make sense. If the goal was to repopulate, they were being incredibly inefficient. Bringing a small number of students to search for a Destined One among them?" I shook my head. "It doesn't make sense. There are hundreds of ways that they could have gone about this, many of which would have had better results. My question is…did those succubi reveal anything to you or those who spoke to them? Because I don't think Kurumu was let in on the full extent of the plan."

The teacher hesitated. "You are…surprisingly perceptive for someone so young. You are nothing like most of the other students here, both in values and in actions. It's refreshing, honestly, to see an intelligent mind that's so responsible. I'm referring, by the way, to your protection of Moka Akashiya on the first day of school and to the way you've handled Miss Kurono so far."

She was changing the subject.

I nodded. "Thank you, ma'am, but, my question?"

Again, the woman hesitated. "The staff suspects that something else was planned for the students," she admitted.

"What did they plan?" I asked.

"I'm…not sure I should be telling you that," said the woman.

I threw my hands up into the air. "Oh come on! I was almost one of those students who would have been kidnapped! My friend was even poisoned for crying out loud! Can't I at least know _why_? It's not like I'm going to go telling everyone about it! And you literally just finished saying how I've proven myself to be more mature than a lot of the other students."

The woman paused, and I could tell that I was making headway.

"Look, anything you tell me will stay a secret. I just want to know what was really going on here," I continued. "You've got my word that I'll keep anything you say to myself."

She finally broke down with a sigh. "…fine… The three succubi, excluding Miss Kurono and her mother, who were involved in this, are not what we expected. Evidence suggests that they had ulterior motives. They've been questioned once so far, and it seems as though they never intended to search for their Destined Ones."

 _Knew it._

"So what did they want?" I asked.

"It's forbidden among their kind," began the teacher. "But some succubi teach themselves how to suck the life out of those they've seduced. This serves as a means to empower themselves, as opposed to actually spending decades studying and practicing their spells. The life force of a monster grants a much greater increase to power than the life force of a human, seeing as humans lack an aura, so we believe that the goal was to drain the students of their life force. It's a little similar to what mermaids do, except mermaids do it to feed themselves, not to increase their strength."

"And when those students finally die," I began slowly. "Those succubi would only have to tell Kurumu that other succubi chose them as their Destined Ones and ran off with them. Kurumu would think that she's doing the right thing, giving succubi their mates, and then she'd send more students…"

"Who would have then had their life force drained from them," finished the teacher. "What the succubi planned on doing with the increase to their power, we don't know—we can only speculate at this point."

There were lots of options. "Maybe being more powerful allows them to seduce large groups of males?" I offered. "They could kidnap more efficiently, seeing as they could charm potential witnesses in the process. Or maybe they'll learn to wipe memories from a mind? That would be useful in their search for a Destined One if they have to comb through large amounts of humans to do so."

The teacher nodded solemnly. "It seems like it's a desperate, last-ditch attempt at increasing their chances of survival. Learn to erase memories, and kidnapping and hypnotizing while remaining hidden becomes that much easier."

"And with three desperate, power-hungry individuals on a mission to save their race, you can expect to run into problems," I muttered before looking up. "Where are these three succubi?"

The response I got was a smile. "They're meeting with a few teachers again. The thing is, they don't know we're on to them, so the second we can prove all of this and pin them for it, we can actually act and have those three dealt with properly. The situation is basically dealt with already, so teachers like me will now have to worry only about what to do with Miss Kurono. Poor thing probably had no idea that she was being used as a pawn."

"She didn't," I said with a nod before looking off in the direction Kurumu had gone. "I think she's a victim in this as well—used by those more powerful than her for a cause she didn't support. Putting her in the program for problematic students doesn't seem like the right course of action here, if you ask me. She's not like some of those other students."

"I can agree with that," said the teacher. "I think the staff might have something else in mind for her."

"What?"

She smirked at me. "Sorry kid, not this time. I've given you enough information as it is. I think you should start heading back to your dorm. You don't have too long before school starts." I blinked before looking at a clock on the wall and clapped a hand to my forehead. During all this, I had completely forgotten that the day was only starting, and I still had classes to attend to.

"Wonderful," I grumbled. "Totally forgot that this was a school day."

The teacher chuckled. "Life at Yōkai Academy can be pretty tough."

I snorted. "That's an understatement. Hey, you know, I don't think I caught your name."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm Miss Kurokawa," she replied. "Science teacher for the students in the problematic program."

"And apparently an agent for dealing with crazy succubi," I said with a laugh.

Miss Kurokawa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Yōkai doesn't have enough staff to deal with all of this. Some of us have to fill more than one roll around here. Anyway, you really should head on to your dorm. You don't want to be late for class."

I nodded and gave her a slight wave as I began my walk back to my dorm. Miss Kurokawa returned the wave and went off as well, presumably to her classroom. On the way back, however, I stopped and groaned as the symbiote suddenly remembered an important detail that both of us had forgotten to look into during all the commotion.

"We forgot to ask Kurumu how she got back into the human world," I said while tilting my head up to look at the ceiling. "Wonderful."

It looked like it was just going to be another one of those days.

 **Explanations/Clarifications (IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ)**

 **Kurumu's Plan (SUPER IMPORTANT):** _Obviously, major deviation from canon here. There were several reasons for this, the first being that I wanted to present readers with a new take on Kurumu's life outside Yōkai. It was shown that her mother was a little pushy, and pressured her when it came to having a relationship with Tsukune in the original story. So, I began wondering, what if someone else tried pressuring Kurumu into doing something for the succubus race? I never felt as though Kurumu's plan in the anime/manga would actually help the succubi in any way—if she had gotten her mate, what would she have done? Pregnancy? She's in high school for crying out loud! Even if succubi believed in early pregnancy, it would have just been one child (or however many she ended up with), which wouldn't have saved her species. And then she'd have to raise them, which would screw up her school life, which would in turn impair her abilities in the academic department. It just didn't feel like an attempt at saving her kind. And Kurumu never struck me as someone who would keep her love slaves, and I didn't want to portray her incorrectly, but I wanted to change up her plan to make it seem like more of an effort to revive the succubi (and for the sake of originality and new material). So, I decided I'd have a few older, more experienced succubi try to take advantage of her with an elaborate, desperate, and shaky plan to realize the dream of seeing the succubi reborn. Technically, Kurumu's original plan was never altered (she still wanted to find her Destined One), but someone else wanted to use it as a way to give themselves a chance at saving the succubi._

 **OC Staff (IMPORTANT):** _I want to get this out of the way now: I've been adding characters into Yōkai Academy since the beginning of the story (not all of them have made appearances, and not all of them will), and these characters serve as a way to fill the strange vacancy within the school's staff. There were barely any teachers in the anime, and I've only recently started the manga, but I still want to make the school feel more alive. The story will NOT center on OC's, but you'll see them pop up to fill in empty spaces. So if you're worried that this will become an OC-heavy fanfic, don't be—I'd much rather write about Peter and the rest of the Rosario + Vampire gang because I like them more than any OC I can create at this point. Finally, any names I use for OC's are not meant to reflect real world individuals in any way. If they do, it's pure coincidence._

 **When's This Going to End?:** _For those wondering when I plan on finishing Kurumu's arc, I'm aiming to wrap it up in the next chapter._


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **CrazyHades:** _I'm glad that this story has gotten your attention! In regards to the harem aspect, I'm going to assume that you read the quote from before, but I'll say it again: unless I can get a girl to realistically fall for Peter, I won't do it. So, rest easy, because a harem is NOT at the top of my list of priorities. And you're right; too many authors will stick girls to their MC without any real thought put into how the relationship would actually work. Granted, it's probably very difficult to create a 'realistic harem', so I can't completely blame them, but it's still annoying when they throw girls at a guy for no reason._

 **Arachnophile801:** _That was probably the second best way I've ever seen anyone start a review. 10 out of 10, would read again. Anyway, I agree with you on the topic of Kurumu's view of Peter: it wouldn't feel right to have her suddenly fall for him, so that's what I plan on trying to avoid (with all characters, hopefully). I read the outcome you were most comfortable with, and it's actually fairly similar to what I had in mind (you learn this chapter anyways, so no spoiler there), but there will be differences in it, so there's still something new to it for you to look forward to. For Kuyo, however, I find myself disagreeing with the "Dragonball Rule" (though, I can definitely see why you'd suggest it). Again, I think I have a way to exploit symbiote biology, as well as Peter's intelligence, to create a battle where Kuyo isn't at a complete advantage. And yes, it would be boring and unrealistic if Peter went about beating EVERYONE, but, from the monsters you see in the anime (haven't read enough of the manga to use it for this example), Peter seems capable of mopping the floor with just about everything that was thrown at the Rosario + Vampire gang in seasons 1 and 2 (Kuyo being the obvious exception, along with Moka's father, and a few others). And don't worry: I'm aware that Peter was older when he performed all those feats you mentioned. They are, however, still pieces of information that help me judge the strength of this Peter Parker. The key difference is, again, the age and the symbiote. I've actually found a lot of apparently lesser-known abilities that it possesses, and in the right hands, even if the host is weaker, slower, and smaller than an opponent, the symbiote can still turn the tide of the fight (but I have a way to keep its power in check to avoid turning Peter into a demigod). Seriously though, if it weren't for the symbiote's weakness to sound and flame, a character like Venom—or any symbiote-clad character—would have been unbeatable if given ALL of the symbiote's abilities shown across the various universes. The simple fact that the symbiote is capable of acting independent of the host's will would be enough to give any host a gargantuan advantage over an opponent. Imagine fighting someone whose suit actively shoots webbing at your eyes and face, or reaches out to trip you or ensnare your limbs. That's like fighting someone with countless extra limbs that move in perfect unison (the symbiote's mental link would presumably allow it to coordinate its attacks with the host). Not to mention that this symbiote hasn't been assigned an age yet (in the animated series, it stated that it had seen countless civilizations prior to bonding with Peter, so it could have been ancient—and an exceptionally experienced fighter, but I don't think that's the route I want to go with in this story). So, at this point, all I can say is that I'm still working out the kinks with Peter's overall power in this story, and for Akua, I can't say anything concrete until I actually MEET her (the sad truth is that I only started the manga so that I could be more thorough in writing this story, though I am enjoying the manga itself so far, but I'm still in the very early chapters). On the topic of the spider-sense, what really caught my attention was your comment on Peter dodging gunfire without the spider-sense. Without that early warning system, Peter would have had significantly less time to react, and if he can STILL dodge a bullet, then his reflexes really are on a whole other level. As for the Moka Interlude, I'm glad you liked it, I really am. I've been considering making more from the views of, say, Inner Moka, maybe Kurumu, heck, maybe someone else. But they'll come later on, as I don't want to overuse them. And speaking of Kurumu, you mentioned that the interrogation wasn't your cup of tea. May I ask why? The feedback will help if I ever write a similar scene. And for the Goblin flashback, I actually looked at that scene while editing and said, "If anybody's going to comment on that, it'll be Arachnophile." Funny thing, huh? That human world comment you mentioned doesn't seem like a dead giveaway, in my opinion, seeing as there are other monsters who have mentioned being in the human world, so it'd be a bit weird for the teachers to suddenly take a huge interest in one particular student who mentioned spending his life among humans. Alright, I think that just about covers everything that I felt needed to be addressed/replied to (correct me if you think that I missed something and/or if you want more concrete answers/details). With that out of the way, enjoy the next installment of Bats and Spiders._

 **davaskog040:** _Thanks! I'm glad to hear that the twist is being met with positive feedback so far._

 **Zeemz:** _Good to know that I did a good job in your eyes. Hope I don't disappoint with vampire politics and society._

 **SonicAnime2010:** _Wait, so were those twists and turns a good thing or a bad one, in your opinion? And yes, you're right: the seed of deception grows and matures very quickly. As for the symbiote…you never know, it could grow tired, but Peter's resolve to teach it can't be underestimated either…_

 **seem14:** _Thanks! Hope my collection of OC's continues to please. Oh, and you're welcome. What kind of author would I be if I ignored my readers' questions? :)_

 **Lionblazeforever:** _It's funny because I decided to watch/read Rosario + Vampire after reading a crossover about it on this website. And now my crossover is introducing someone else to the same show in the same way :)_

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thanks :)_

 **A/N:** _It's humiliating to be writing this note once more, but, again, I'm sorry for the delays. I've had really crappy luck with getting chapters out at a respectable rate. The excuse this time is that I got myself pretty sick for a few days, and ended up skipping out on writing because I wasn't feeling up to it. Again, I apologize for all these delays and my apparent inability to stick to a schedule._

 **-Chapter 8: Aftermath and a Summons-**

 _ **"You have got to be kidding me,"**_ growled the inner Moka from within the rosary. The outer Moka winced slightly at her other half's tone, and I frowned.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't let you talk to her yet," I explained.

 _ **"Our deal was that you'd let me out to speak with the succubus, and I'd let you supervise the meeting. And now you're going back on it?"**_

"I said _I'm sorry_ ," I replied. "They monitored my talk with Kurumu last time, there's no reason they won't do it again. If I let you out, we'd be breaking the first rule of this school: stay in human form. The teachers would be storming the room in seconds."

 _ **"And you think that scares me?"**_

"I don't care if it scares you or not," I said while pinching the bridge of my nose. "Letting you out would create too many problems—for _everyone_. If you fight the teachers, you're hurting innocent people. On top of that, you'll get yourself, as well as the outer Moka, expelled, and she didn't do anything! And not to mention, you'll be getting _me_ in hot water for willingly letting you out!"

 _ **"Tch, so it seems that the succubus gets to humiliate a vampire and I'm not allowed to correct her error…"**_

"Look, I'll find a way to get you an audience with her," I told her. "But just give it time. This isn't something we can accomplish overnight."

 _ **"Fine. Just make sure that the succubus doesn't attack my other half."**_

"Roger," I mumbled before looking back up and meeting the outer Moka's eyes. "How're you holding up?"

The pink-haired Moka scratched the back of her head. "Kind of nervous," she admitted. "I've had a lot of time to think about all of this, but I'm just…I don't know—this is new for me."

As promised by the teachers, Kurumu was going to see Moka and apologize to her. While I had already forgiven Kurumu, Moka had yet to make her decision. I had asked her shortly before we had set out, but she confessed to being unsure about the whole thing. She had, of course, been informed of Kurumu's situation—save for the possible true intentions of the three rogue succubi—and had had plenty of time to formulate her opinion.

And I had, of course, told Moka that I had forgiven Kurumu, but whether or not Moka did the same was ultimately up to her.

Classes had ended a little while ago, so the hallway we were walking down was almost entirely empty. We were currently making our way to the same room I had spoken to Kurumu in earlier, and Miss Kurokawa was supposed to be waiting for us there along with another of the guards from the Public Safety Committee. The day itself had been uneventful after this morning, and except for the inner Moka becoming angry with me over my refusal to let her out, things were going smoothly.

The walk to our destination was short and quiet, with me giving Moka the silence that she probably needed to think, and with the symbiote avoiding conversation as well. Eventually, I saw Miss Kurokawa calmly standing by a familiar door, alongside one of the Committee's many enforcers. She acknowledged me with a nod before glancing at Moka.

"Miss Akashiya," she greeted.

Moka gave a slight bow of respect before straightening out. "Is…Kurumu in there?"

"She is," replied Miss Kurokawa. "She's waiting for you, so head on in when you're ready. Mister Parker, I trust that you understand your position?"

I nodded. "Of course: no violence, only supervision and, in case of emergency, get Moka out of the way and give the guard a chance to take down Kurumu."

Not that Kurumu would need to be taken down. I highly doubted that she'd try anything, _especially_ with me present.

Miss Kurokawa nodded and moved aside, allowing Moka and I to step past her and slide the door open. I stepped in first, which caught Kurumu's attention instantly. I saw the ghost of a smile touch her lips when I entered, and I gave her a small wave before stepping in. Kurumu's expression changed to one of shame and discomfort as Moka walked in after me, and I could tell that Kurumu was for more uncomfortable around Moka than she was around me.

The vampire's and the succubus' gazes locked, and they stood still for several seconds. I could tell that Moka was about to say something, but Kurumu beat her to it. The succubus attempted to break the silence by starting her apology, but Moka held up a hand to silence her. "Stop," she commanded, to which Kurumu responded by clamping her mouth shut. "I know what you're going to say," continued Moka. "And I've already heard the story from Peter and the teachers—about those other three succubi, I mean."

Kurumu fidgeted awkwardly, but nodded and remained silent.

"And, I'm going to be honest," said Moka. "I was angry. Angry because you hurt me and because you tried hurting Peter of all people. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that you weren't in complete control of yourself. I can…I can understand…and relate." She paused. "When I first met Peter, I attacked him because of, uh, circumstancesthat I couldn't control."

I raised an eyebrow. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from all of this, but hearing Moka recall our first meeting wasn't something that I had anticipated. She didn't seem like one to be comfortable with talking about the urges that came with her hunger—or even what problems they had caused her in the past.

"But Peter listened to me," continued Moka. "And he gave me the benefit of the doubt and forgave me. So if I stayed mad at you, I'd be a hypocrite, because I was in your position once, and _I_ was the one asking for forgiveness. And I received that forgiveness, and it grew into the best friendship I could have asked for."

I shifted awkwardly at her words. Kurumu, meanwhile, stared in shock at my pink-haired friend.

"So I forgive you too," finished Moka.

 _Atta girl._

As naïve as she could be, I was still proud of Moka for the way that she was handling all of this. She could also see Kurumu's capacity for change, and she was trying to give the succubus a chance to become a better person.

Said succubus was staring at Moka, mouth agape and eyes wide. She eventually looked at me, and then back at Moka. Finally, she fell down on the sofa and shook her head in disbelief. "You guys…" she whispered before chuckling. "I don't even…"

I felt the corners of my mouth tug upwards as Kurumu realized that she had been forgiven. Moka, meanwhile, turned to me with a smile of her own, and I gave her an approving nod.

' _Good job,'_ I mouthed. Moka's smile widened into a grin, and I turned back to Kurumu. "You probably have a lot to get done with the teachers in regards to how this'll all be handled," I began. "So we'll leave you to it. Come on Moka."

"Coming!" she cried happily, her optimism and bubbly attitude finally returning now that our part in this whole Kurumu incident was finally over. In her eyes, we could finally return to regular school life.

"Wait!"

Moka and I both turned around to see Kurumu hopping up from the couch and giving us a smile of her own. "Thank you."

Moka returned the expression while I nodded and gave Kurumu a final wave before motioning for Moka to follow me as we left the room. Miss Kurokawa was waiting for us when we walked through the door, and she gave us a wink. "That went well," she commented.

"Yup!" Moka replied.

"Thankfully," I said. "Is that all? Are Moka and I done with all of this?"

The teacher let out an awkward laugh. "Uh, almost," she said in a slightly sheepish manner. "Miss Akashiya is technically free to go, but Mister Amori requested to see you."

I blinked. "Me? What for?"

"It's…difficult to explain," said Miss Kurokawa. "His office is in room two-hundred-eleven. Please make your way over there."

 _What now?_

I frowned, wondering what I was needed for, and why Moka wasn't involved. The vampire in question gave me a confused look, to which I responded by shrugging. "Duty calls," I offered. Moka paused before giggling.

"Alright," she said with a wave. "See you soon!"

As Moka walked away, I could hear the Public Safety Committee guard snort. "Lucky punk," he muttered. I raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. Bidding Miss Kurokawa farewell—while she glared at the Committee guard—I began my walk to room two-hundred-eleven. On the way there I found myself repeatedly asking the question, 'why?' Why did this Mister Amori need to talk to me? Was there something else regarding this whole thing with Kurumu that had to be dealt with?

The symbiote was just as confused as I was. Neither it nor I could figure out what I could be needed for at this point, seeing as our involvement with Kurumu should have been officially over. Moka hadn't been called, so I began to assume that this might have had something to do with the true intentions of the three rogue succubi, since I was one of the few who were informed.

The whole walk to Mister Amori's office was spent bouncing ideas off my alien partner and hearing its responses and input for myself. Finally, I came to a dark brown door in a secluded hallway, somewhere beyond the classrooms for the problematic students. This Mister Amori character no doubt spent most of his time dealing with those students. I tentatively reached out and wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, gently turning it and pushing on the door. It slid open without a sound, unlike the squeaky door to Miss Nekonome's classroom that I had become so accustomed to.

The office itself was dark—far darker than the hallways. It was similar in its lighting to the school's main bathroom, which also had a very dark, medieval feel to it. The entire room felt like a mix of dark reds and browns, and I immediately felt as though I had entered the working area of a man of much higher rank. A figure sat in the chair behind a desk in the back of the room, his head slightly raised in response to the quiet sound of his doorknob being turned.

He removed a pair of reading glasses from his eyes and placed them atop a stack of paperwork as he straightened out. "Mister Parker?" he asked. I nodded. The man smiled and waved his hand to one of the two chairs in front of the desk. "Ah, good, good. Come, take a seat. I'll try to make this quick and release you as soon as I can."

I complied, and walked over to the chair and slid into the soft red seat. "Now then," began the staff member. "I am Mister Amori. I was one of the people that accompanied Miss Kurono to the human world."

 _Still need to find out how they did that._

"I've heard your name mentioned," I said with a shrug. "What am I here for?"

"To start off, to answer a few questions," replied the man. "It has come to my attention that you forgave Miss Kurono for her actions against you—as did Miss Akashiya." I nodded slowly. Where was he going with this? "Let me ask you this," he continued. "The reasoning you gave: do you honestly believe it? Do you truly believe that Miss Kurono is capable of change?"

I blinked. Where was this coming from? "Uh, yes, yes I do," I answered hesitantly. "She showed regret for her actions, and she seems to doubt her mother's teachings on how a succubus should behave herself. I think Kurumu is truly capable of change."

"Uh huh," said Mister Amori. "Alright then, how about this: do you believe that it would be a good idea to place young Kurumu in the program for problematic students?"

"Absolutely not," I answered almost on instinct. "For one, it would be counterproductive. I've met one of the students that ended up in that program: Saizou Komiya. Kurumu was nothing like him. Putting her in that program would _not_ steer her in the right direction. If the goal is to help her change, that program isn't for her, it's better suited for the more violent students."

I paused.

"Actually, it's also dangerous to put her there," I muttered. "Given her hypnotic abilities, she's more dangerous around powerful students. If a succubus' charm is so hard to resist, and if Kurumu _did_ try anything, it'd be safer for everyone if she were around calmer, less powerful students. Putting a succubus who has been deceived before among violent, powerful students—"

"—is a recipe for disaster," finished Mister Amori with a nod. "My thoughts exactly. That charm ability of hers means that she'll only be as dangerous as the students around her. If she only has the opportunity to seduce and control smaller, weaker students, then she can be stopped fairly easily. However, give her a chance to create an army of powerful students with a history of violence, and you've got a far greater threat on your hands."

Mister Amori paused and leaned forward. "So…what would _you_ propose?"

I reeled back in confusion. "Me? Why are you asking me?"

"It's a long story," said the man while rubbing his chin. "But your input is valuable here. I assure you, there is a reason for all of this."

I didn't say anything for several seconds. What _was_ the best way to deal with Kurumu? She definitely needed a teacher of sorts—someone who could help put her back on track. "I think…" I began. "I believe that Kurumu needs to be placed in an environment where she has positive influences around her. She needs to be around a teacher, or teachers, that can help her start to fit in with the rest of us. She needs a responsible person, or, again, responsible _people_ , who can act as role models."

"So, like a guardian?" asked Mister Amori, curiosity evident in his voice.

"Um, no, I wouldn't say a 'guardian'," I mumbled. "I was thinking of something more like a…like a class, I suppose? Maybe something like the program for problematic students, but for misled students instead. Is there something like that available for Kurumu?"

Mister Amori shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We lack such a class here at Yōkai."

Dang it. That had felt like the best way to go.

"Well, then, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can offer anything else," I said with a shrug. "That was probably my best idea."

The man before me smiled. "Actually, I think you've done plenty. Some of the other staff members actually had a very similar idea—although, since they knew that the school lacked a class like you described, their idea was more of having an _individual_ spend time with Kurumu and try to teach her and lead her from the path she's been set on. They also suggested that this individual be powerful enough to contain Miss Kurono should she prove to be troublesome. The point of the idea was to have someone stay around her who could both teach and restrain her—if necessary."

"Ah, so that's where the 'guardian' thing came from, right?" I asked.

The man nodded. "Right."

So then what was I here for? The staff already had a plan for Kurumu, it seemed, and the most qualified candidate for the position would have been an experienced teacher—or at least an adult. So what the heck was I doing here?

Wait…they couldn't possibly…

"Sir," I asked hesitantly. "What exactly was I called here for today?"

Mister Amori offered me a small smile. "Given the circumstances, and how our conversation is going so far, I think you already know the answer to that one."

"You…want me to be Kurumu's guardian, don't you?" I asked warily.

"The short answer: yes."

I resisted the urge to face plant on the desk. "Sir, I _really_ don't think I'm qualified for this!" I protested. "I'm a student here!"

Mister Amori sighed and began rubbing the glasses that sat a few inches from him. "Peter, I have personally looked through a large list of potential candidates for this position," he began. "I can tell you right now that no teacher in this school has the time necessary to spend every day with Miss Kurono and act as a guardian. That left me with the student body. And after spending most of this morning, plus the majority of the time since then, combing through stacks of paper with student names and records, I have found a grand total of _six_ people that I believe are responsible and intelligent enough to act as a role model for Miss Kurono. You are currently our number one candidate, for several reasons."

"Why?" There had to be _some_ flaw I could find in his reasoning.

"For one, you're already in Miss Kurono's grade," he explained. "Most of the other candidates are older, with only two of the six being in your grade. You are also the only one who has demonstrated the ability to break Kurumu's charm so far, which means that she won't be able to hypnotize you—an immunity that her future guardian desperately needs. That in and of itself was enough to put you at the top of our list. The other candidates are, from what I know, skilled and responsible, yes, but they haven't actually had any encounters with succubi yet. On top of that, you have personal experience with Miss Kurono."

Found a flaw.

"Kurumu and I had a fight," I said quickly. "She may be downright scared of me. Having me act as her guardian might teach her obedience through fear, which shouldn't be the goal."

The man nodded. "You're right: she _is_ a little intimidated by you, but after the way you treated her during her apology, I can say with confidence that it would be more accurate to say that she _respects_ you, rather than _fears_ you."

Mister Amori paused to let that statement sink in. "You had the power and chance to kill her, and yet you didn't. And you forgave her too. She now knows that you are capable of seeing past her previous mistakes and her race's traditions. Sadly, I've met students who would have finished her when they had a chance. You, on the other hand, saw the chance for her to change, and attempted to give her the opportunity. And look how it turned out: we found out that she was being influenced by three rogue succubi—who, I might add, seemed to have used a subtle form of magic to persuade Miss Kurono and her mother."

"Wait, you proved that?" I asked. "You know for _sure_ that those succubi hypnotized Kurumu?"

"I wouldn't say 'hypnotized', as the magic was much more discreet than that," said the man. "But there was definitely a form of magic involved."

So that was it. Kurumu had been brainwashed into doing this. She was, in a way, innocent. "And did you find out what those three were really planning with all of this?"

The man's expression darkened. "We now know for a fact that they planned on draining the students of their life force. They refuse to reveal what they planned on doing with the increase to their power, but that's not as important as the fact that we _know_ that they're dangerous now. They're being dealt with accordingly."

"How?" I asked.

"Let's just say that it'll be a long time before any of them see the light of day again," replied Mister Amori. "But back on topic," he continued. "I talked to Miss Kurono, and I actually told her what was being planned for her. After I had my chosen candidates, I showed them to her, and asked which she'd be most comfortable with having as her guardian—because at this point, it's not safe to let her wander on her own, and she knows that she needs to be kept an eye on."

"And who'd she say that she was most comfortable with?" I asked, though I was confident that I knew the answer.

"You," replied Mister Amori. "Given her past experiences with you, she knows for a fact that you can be forgiving, and she knows that you played a major part in opening her eyes to the truth of the matter here. She already trusts your judgment far more than that of a complete stranger. Besides, the staff has had some experience with you as well. We haven't forgotten your role in protecting Moka Akashiya on the first day of school."

"And now you're confident that I can help Kurumu?" I asked.

"We are," he replied. "Miss Kurono is questioning the things that her mother has taught her about how she should behave, and now she's in search of a new role model, a new 'teacher', one might say. Since no actual teachers are readily available for this task, we need to turn to less orthodox solutions—that solution being you. It is as you said: we need to give her a positive influence. And you're currently the best man for the job."

I was also the same man who was desperately trying—and failing—to get out of Yōkai Academy.

"I'll…can I have some time to think about it?" I asked.

"Of course," said the man. "Please return to me when you have made up your mind, but please make haste. This whole deal with Kurumu needs to be closed sooner, rather than later. The school's problems won't put themselves on hold just because of one student with a unique issue."

I nodded and made my way out of the room. As I shut the door behind me and stepped away from it, I leaned against a wall. I found myself slowly sliding down said wall as my mind raced. Mister Amori's request was _not_ something I had prepared for. Given different circumstances, I would have been _far_ more willing to help Kurumu, but…

If I chose to become her guardian, I'd be committing myself. I wasn't sure if I'd be allowed to leave Yōkai Academy. If I took this job, I might end up being forced to stay here. The simple solution seemed to be to just refuse.

The problem was that I _wanted_ to help Kurumu. I wanted to see her grow into a better person. Usually, though, I wouldn't accept this particular kind of job. Between juggling my life as Peter Parker and my life as Spider-Man, I just couldn't handle having someone looking over my shoulder day in and day out. Here, however, I wasn't allowed to tell people that I was Spider-Man, even while wearing the black suit. There was no double life to juggle.

The symbiote, meanwhile, made a point to make its opinion known. It wanted nothing to do with Kurumu _or_ Moka. It just wanted us to pack up and leave while we still had the chance, and I could understand it, I really could. The real difference between us was that the symbiote's top priority was the safety of itself and its host.

And then there was the issue of actually leaving Yōkai Academy and then Japan itself. The sad truth was that I no matter how hard we tried, the symbiote and I couldn't think of a reasonable way to return to New York, not unless it involved illegal methods. I realized that I really needed to sit down and think about my future here. I could see no scenario in which the symbiote and I make it back to New York without turning to crime for the money required, and I was beginning to truly consider the possibility of just staying here.

My partner protested vehemently, projecting thoughts of leaving and returning to our home. And as appealing as the idea seemed, I just _couldn't figure out how we could do it_. I had no excuse to leave Yōkai yet, and if the teachers needed a reason for me leaving school grounds, I'd need one reason for them, and then a second for Aunt May, or one that somehow satisfied _both_ parties. Even worse, I had no way to get out of Japan. The money scrapped together for the ticket to actually get here took quite a bit of saving up, and asking Aunt May for a return ticket so soon would force her to throw away even _more_ cash than she was ready to do so.

She was expecting me back after finishing a year at Yōkai. _That_ was when I was supposed to make a decision regarding whether or not I'd stay in Japan to finish my education. And then I'd have to be enrolled in a high school back in New York, which would _again_ take time out of Aunt May's life for an issue that shouldn't have existed.

It was beginning to look more and more like a hopeless situation.

The symbiote interrupted my silent submission by detailing a method for acquiring money. It suggested taking it from defeated thugs and criminals—the money probably didn't even belong to them. We could simply play our part as Spider-Man, and then make some money off of it for the ticket back.

But then Aunt May would want to know where the money for the ticket came from. And if Spider-Man suddenly appeared in Japan, just as Peter Parker just so happened to be going there, it might make Aunt May suspicious. If someone had told her that I was Spider-Man, she'd laugh in their face, but that woman wasn't stupid. Both Spider-Man and Peter Parker appearing in Japan at the same time wouldn't go over her head, should I end up on the news and then reported on back in New York. The simple fact that Spider-Man disappeared from New York prior to me leaving the city might have been enough to confuse her, but both of us reappearing in Japan?

That could spell disaster for my 'secret identity'.

 _Symbiote, we have to face the facts: we may be stuck here. We don't have a way to leave Yōkai Academy without raising eyebrows, and we don't have anything to live off of if we DO manage to get out of here. We don't have money for food or water—Aunt May and I assumed that I'd actually stay here in school, where it was provided._

Neither of us could have possibly predicted that the school would have been for monsters that despise humans.

The symbiote was about to reply with an anger-fueled argument, but I could feel it stop mid-thought. It was realizing just how stuck we were.

 _I'm sorry. I don't like this either, but we don't have much of a choice. I don't think we can leave Yōkai Academy._

It wasn't all bad, however.

 _Look, this place isn't so different from New York. There are still plenty of criminals, and everyone here has superpowers. Maybe we could join the Public Safety Committee or something and act as the police for the school? We can still fight crime as Spider-Man—we just can't call ourselves that._

My partner hesitated, digesting this information. I knew that it was considering the idea—or rather, it was trying to come to terms with it.

 _Hey, there are bright sides to this. The rule here is not to SHOW your monster form, but everybody accepts that everyone around them has powers. We can still go jumping across rooftops or go around climbing buildings. We can even go to the forest to web swing._

Again, the symbiote hesitated, and I knew I was breaking through to it.

 _Heck, maybe we can even find a sparring partner or something to make up for the lack of supervillains to fight. This isn't New York, but we can simulate our life as Spider-Man here. It'll be a bit different, but we can still do it! And if we find a way out, we can always take the chance. It SEEMS like we're stuck here, but if the opportunity presents itself, we can take it._

This place truly was a lot more like my old home than I had realized. With my life as Spider-Man in New York, the death penalty for humans here wasn't all that 'new', so to speak. I had, after all, spent most of my time throwing myself into mortal danger for the sake of others back in New York. The threat to my life was no more severe here than it was there. If I took a second to look at my life here, it wasn't all that different from New York.

My partner finally caved as we both realized how similar our new life here was to our old one. I could feel its emotions and reluctant agreement as it accepted the fact that we weren't going anywhere, and I silently grinned. This was good; spending the year at Yōkai by no means filled me with excitement, but the idea of spending a year here with a symbiote that was constantly angry at me was far, far worse. If the symbiote and I were constantly butting heads, we'd only put ourselves in even _more_ danger. At least now, I knew that my partner would still cooperate with me. That was what mattered in the heat of a fight, and it meant that I wouldn't be waking up in the middle of nowhere because the symbiote decided to take my body for a joy ride.

And that left the other issue: the job I was offered. It was a big responsibility, I knew that, but Kurumu had the chance to change into a better person, and I had the power to make sure she took that chance. On top of that, regardless of the fact that she was tricked into doing all of this, she was still a succubus that used seduction and hypnotism to find the truth. If she ever tried finding her Destined One using that method, I'd have to step in and try and convince her to try another approach. It may be tradition for her, but it was still an act that stripped people of their free will.

And if Kurumu ever used her powers out of anger or some other reason, she might end up forcing a powerful student to fight on her behalf, which could potentially hurt more than one innocent person. The bottom line was that Kurumu needed a guardian—someone who could help reform her while keeping the other students safe from her powers. And Mister Amori's logic was easy to agree with; I was probably the most qualified individual for the job.

I paused and took a second to analyze my position at Yōkai Academy.

Between my classes, Moka, and the occasional crazy student—of which there had been two so far—I found that I actually had the time to spare. I was capable of helping Kurumu grow into a better person, I was capable of helping both her _and_ Moka. And at the end of it all, the two girls might develop a friendship of their own. That way, when I finally _did_ leave Japan, Moka would have someone to keep her company. The original goal was, after all, to find Moka a new, dependable friend, and if I couldn't find one, I could definitely make one.

And I had already made an impression on Kurumu. She'd be more likely to listen to me, given her apparent newfound respect of me. I had the ability to influence her into becoming just about anything. I, essentially, had a form of power—the power to change someone.

And with great power, there had to come great responsibility.

I got up from my surprisingly comfortable seat along the wall and pushed the door to Mister Amori's office open once more. The man's head snapped up in confusion as I walked in, and he blinked in surprise. "Uh, Mister Parker," he began. "I didn't expect you back so soon. I thought you'd need a day or two at most, not a _minute_ or two."

"Sir, what exactly does this position entail?" I asked. Mister Amori's eyes slowly regained their calm, steady look, and he placed his hands on the desk, interlocking his fingers.

"Well, Miss Kurono would have to stick by you," he explained. "You would NOT have the authority to order her around, but rather, you'd set an example by your behavior. The goal is to have her learn by spending time around a positive influence. Having that positive influence act as a guardian would also help reduce the risk of trouble since we'd have someone capable of stopping Kurumu around her at all times, just in case she did something…dangerous."

"So I'd just have her around at all times?" I asked to be sure. "I'd just have to stick by her, set a good example, help guide her in the right direction, and make sure she doesn't hurt anybody?"

"Basically, yes," replied the man. "Her schedule would, of course, be revised in order to match yours. You're also welcome to bring her along to converse with your friends, provided that they are positive influences on her as well."

"Don't worry, all of my other friends are responsible as well."

 _Yeah, my ONE other friend at this school. Oh well, Moka would still be a good example for Kurumu to follow, in most ways._

"Then just think of Miss Kurono as a younger friend in need of guidance," said Mister Amori with a smile. "Your relationship to her doesn't have to be strictly professional—on the contrary, I'm hoping that the two of you can become actual friends. It would be beneficial for both of you. It would also give her all the more reason to listen to you if she sees you as a wise friend, rather than as some sort of impersonal bodyguard."

I nodded slowly. His reasoning made sense. There was still something I wanted to address, however…

"Just to be clear," I began. "I'm allowed to quit at any time, right? And for how long do I act as her guardian anyway?"

 _As promised, symbiote, I'm not completely giving up on the chance to leave this place early. We're going to have a way out of this job if needed._

My partner practically nodded in approval.

The man hesitated. "Well, as for how long you are to remain as Kurumu's guardian: that depends. Ideally, until she has proven that she isn't a threat to anybody and until we trust her to go out on her own. This may take time, but that's to be expected. She has a lot to learn. And, of course, you're technically free to quit at any time. It's obviously much easier for everyone if you didn't, but we won't force you into remaining in a position you no longer wish to occupy."

Mister Amori stood up from his desk.

"So, Mister Parker," he began as he reached an arm out, offering me his hand. "Are you willing to shoulder this responsibility? Can I count on you?"

I hesitated for only a second before reaching out and clasping his outstretched limb in a firm handshake. He grinned at my response. "Peter Parker, effective immediately, you are Miss Kurono's new guardian."

 _Let's just hope I don't regret this._

 **A/N:** _Just a note for those who are tired of reading dialogue: the Kurumu arc is officially over, and next chapter will continue on with the canon storyline from the manga (the manga has a slightly different timeline than the anime). At least, that's what I'm planning. So don't worry, the focus will finally shift off of Kurumu Kurono._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Accepting the Job:** _It seemed like something that Spider-Man would do. He's seen a lot of messed up people, including the Green Goblin, even during only a single year as Spider-Man. Peter wouldn't turn his back on someone who he believes is capable of changing their ways, and since he knows he can't really go anywhere, he was willing to take Kurumu under his wing (kinda ironic, since she's the one with the wings)._

 **Kurumu's Guardian:** _The reason for this job being offered to Peter to begin with is the fact that I wanted SOMETHING to be done about Kurumu in response to her actions. Even without the influence of three rogue succubi, she would have still searched for her Destined One, and the teachers know this. It wouldn't have felt right if they had just ignored her, but putting her in the program for problematic students didn't feel like the logical choice either. Throw in the fact that I obviously want her to be part of the little gang of main characters, and I had the idea to make Peter her guardian. There were probably other ways to go about doing this, but making Kurumu decide to stick with Peter and Moka would have required a lot more explaining and time to set up, and this was a faster, simpler solution that gave Kurumu a reason to hang around Peter. It also helped him realize that he really couldn't leave Yōkai Academy anytime soon. And let's be honest, it would get old really fast if you all had to listen to Peter ramble on about how he needs to find a way out of the school for the length of the story._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **SonicAnime2010:** _Ah, good to know. Glad that the twists were well received._

 **I Be Random:** _I may have something like that planned :)_

 **Arachnophile801:** _The funniest review I've ever read was posted by a Russian guy who was offering feedback for an English grammar book. The review was so ridiculous that it may have been a parody or a joke, but it was priceless all the same. And I agree with you: realistically handling a harem and making it interesting is exceptionally difficult, and for a novice writer like me, it's especially challenging. I, once again, agree that the romance needs to be taken down a notch for this story to flow smoothly (at least for now), and as you've no doubt noticed, I've already been keeping the romance to a bare minimum. Peter doesn't view Moka as a love interest and Kurumu isn't following Peter around because he's her Destined One or anything. I didn't want to follow the Dragonball Rule for Kuyo for several reasons, but one of them is that he was already defeated without Spider-Man in the mix, so it could technically still be done, though I'm thinking of making a few changes (nothing concrete yet). Extending the arc just to give Spidey a shot at Kuyo feels a bit wrong, seeing as Moka had already taken him out in the anime (with help, of course). I'll try to keep the fight as realistic as possible, just as I have been trying to write this story from a realistic-ish perspective. In the manga, I am currently on chapter 7 of Volume 2 (I'm reading this online, so the chapter/volume may be a bit different from a physical copy). Basically, I'm at the chapter where Kurumu is being blackmailed into spending time with that perverted slug monster. As a favor for me, please refrain from mentioning anything in the way of spoilers from the manga beyond that point (I've seen both seasons of the anime, so spoil away on that, but the manga has content the anime didn't, and I'd like to discover it as intended). On the topic of chapters from other characters' points of view, I've got nothing against it, so I think I'll throw another one in at some point, although I probably won't structure it like the last one in which there was a repeat of a previous scene because a few readers didn't like rereading that. Thank you for the feedback though. And thank you for clarifying your opinion of Kurumu's interrogation scene, and don't bother apologizing on whatever lack of feedback you think you have. You've given me more of it in all of your reviews so far than some people get for their entire story, so a huge thank you for that. I'll ask if I didn't understand something in your review, so you're fine there. Glad you've found my handling of last chapter realistic enough (I tell ya, the amount of moronic decisions made in the original material is kinda mind blowing, and it takes some work to keep the story flowing without one character just saying "hey, we could literally end this whole conflict by doing this, this, and that"). Portraying a universe as wacky as Rosario + Vampire's in a realistic manner (or as realistic as I can make it) tends to eat up more time than writing and editing combined. Thanks for sharing your favorite part of last chapter—helps me figure out what I did right in certain areas (and it just feels good when people enjoy your writing). Alright, that seems to be about it (as usual, correct me if you feel I missed something), and enjoy the next chapter—which may, sadly, be the newest one for a little while. The explanation behind that is in the important notice right above the chapter title._

 **xbox432:** _Good to know that the changes I'm making are interesting. And yeah, Peter would be PISSED to see what the Public Safety Committee had become, and the idea of taking over the Committee is a very unique one, so I applaud your creativity there (not sure if Peter will try anything like that for this story though). As for the teachers, you're once again correct. I can definitely foresee Peter's opinion of them deteriorating._

 **cody. a. c. smith:** _I know I messed up your name with the spaces, but I did that to avoid misleading this website into thinking that it was a link. Anyway, I'm glad that this story is to your liking, and after reading your review, I decided to begin reading the manga much more often. Not necessarily "binge reading", but I've sped up thanks to you :)_

 **Zeemz:** _You're right: very little happens in the previous chapter. I'm sort of trying to create periods of calm and quiet, since in the anime, just about every episode had a major problem that ended in a fistfight (which then ended with Inner Moka kicking someone into submission), and the manga was no different (from what I've read so far, which is, admittedly, not much). You're also right on the topic of Peter being able to quickly justify and accept the guard job. However, I wanted to make it seem as though he was actually putting thought into it, as well as convincing a symbiote that couldn't care less for Kurumu's safety. Making it short, sweet, and simple would have saved time, yes, but I felt as though it would come off as rushed or unrealistic. Still, thank you for offering feedback and for critiquing my work._

 **Guest:** _I'm glad to hear that! Hope you keep enjoying it!_

 **Thresher26:** _Happy to hear that you've been keeping up with my work! As for your questions: 1) Yes, he sleeps with it on. 2) I'm assuming that you're asking whether or not the symbiote feeds off adrenaline like in some of the comics, and whether or not it seeks out excitement and adventure. I'm working out the symbiote's biology, so no concrete answer on that one yet, and yes, the symbiote does in fact search out and hopes for fights and adventure—especially adventures involving fights (if I misinterpreted your question, let me know). 3) After countless hours of research, browsing through Wikipedia, and searching through every Spider-Man comic I could find, I deduced that symbiotes don't like chocolate (don't take that seriously, no actual research was done in the making of this answer…but I still don't think they like chocolate)._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _Yukari is actually NOT next (this chapter follows the manga, so the club hunt comes BEFORE Yukari). But when she does come along, Peter and the symbiote probably would be shocked at her habits._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thank you._

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE:** _What is this, the third one? Anyway, this chapter follows the storyline of the manga, so our heroes will search for a club before they meet the world's most annoying witch and do all that other stuff. Which means that a certain werewolf will debut soon too. Also, next week will be exceptionally busy for me and I won't be able to work on the next chapter. Expect yet another delay (I am so sorry…I really wish I could release the next chapter soon, but such is not the case…please don't hate me). I'll try to get Chapter 10 out as soon as I can without rushing it or sacrificing quality, but I might be pretty silent next week in ways of updating this story. But don't worry, it is NOT being abandoned._

 **-Chapter 9: Spiders and Swimming Clubs-**

In retrospect, I had taken very little time to think about the negative aspects of being Kurumu's new guardian. Had I considered those aspects, I might have been able to avoid this situation.

Said situation could only be described as _the most awkward moment of my life_.

To my right walked Moka Akashiya, the seemingly most popular girl in our grade. To my left walked Kurumu Kurono, the apparent _second_ most popular girl in this grade. All around us were groups of students that gawked at us, most of them male, and most of them red-faced. And in the center of it all was me, Peter Parker, costumed hero and host to one of the most complex alien organisms one can imagine.

Being Spider-Man didn't prepare me for something like this.

"No freakin' way," whispered one of the male students.

"Now he's got _Kurumu_ following him around?!"

"How is he doing it?!"

"And why does it have to be _him_?! Why not ME?!"

 _Seriously, why does it have to be me?_

The matter was made worse by the fact that Moka would occasionally move slightly closer to me in what was probably supposed to be a subtle manner. Unfortunately, her approach was about as discreet as the Rhino on a rampage. Why she did this, I didn't know, nor did I understand why she sometimes threw suspicious glances at Kurumu. The succubus was at least keeping a normal distance, but that was just about the only normal thing about this whole situation. We couldn't even start a conversation because everybody would be listening.

The walk to our first class should have been short, sweet, and simple, but the groups of students who kept stopping and staring made it feel a thousand times longer than it had any right to be.

It was the day after I had been assigned as Kurumu's guardian. Kurumu was relieved to find out it was me, and not a random student. Moka was…less than thrilled, to say the least. Given her acceptance of Kurumu's apology, I thought she'd be a little more open minded about my new job, but she apparently hadn't prepared to welcome Kurumu into her life like this.

And since Moka spent nearly every minute of the day around me, having Kurumu constantly following me was basically the same thing as Kurumu constantly following Moka. But of course, no matter how uncomfortable she might have been, Moka refused to leave, not that I really minded.

Ignoring the otherworldly awkwardness of the setting I found myself in, the new guard job had given me a chance to learn a few things about Kurumu. She was apparently an excellent baker, and had a fairly good knowledge of potions and poisons. The poison she gave to Moka would have eventually floored the vampire, which would have, of course, caused me to carry her to the infirmary. That would have given Kurumu plenty of alone time around me to try and cast her charm if she bothered following me on the way there, since a poisoned Moka would have been incapable of stopping her.

The other thing that I had learned was that Kurumu was a girl whose confidence was nearly unshakable. She still walked with her head held high, and while she was still a little uncomfortable around Moka, given her rotten treatment of her, she had become almost completely relaxed around me—over the course of _one day_. To any onlooker, it would seem as though nothing had gone on between Kurumu and I. It was as though she had placed our fight behind her. All things considered, I assumed that this was good; she was trying to move on, instead of dwelling on past mistakes.

If I had to guess, I would say that when I willingly became her guardian, it improved her opinion of me to the point where she trusted me enough to not be downright scared of me.

Finally, _finally_ we reached Miss Nekonome's classroom. This was already one of Kurumu's original classes, so the changes to her schedule didn't really effect her morning.

And that was another thing that seemed to tick Moka off: the fact that Kurumu's schedule was changed to match mine before Moka's was, despite the fact that Moka had specifically asked to be placed in my classes before Kurumu had come along.

More heads turned to look at us as we made our way into the room. Miss Nekonome greeted us with her trademark smile and wave, which I returned before heading to my seat. Moka sat directly behind me, while Kurumu sat to Moka's right. I attempted to ignore the fact that most of the male students were openly staring at the three of us, some with shock, others with downright anger. Eventually, Miss Nekonome stepped up to the front of the class and addressed everyone.

"Good morning class," she said happily. "Today is a special day for you students. You won't be having regular classes!"

I blinked and tilted my head to the side in confusion.

"That's right," continued the teacher. "Today, you'll all be choosing a club to join, and to give you all time to look around, decide what you want to do, and check out your new clubs, you'll be given the day off—but you must use it to find a club that you like and join it."

This was unexpected. I couldn't recall joining a club being mandatory in a school.

"Now, some clubs have their stations outside," said Miss Nekonome. "And some have set up inside, so don't forgot to check both areas."

The next several minutes were dedicated to explaining to the students how the whole event would work. I listened closely, seeing as I HAD to join a club. Miss Nekonome eventually finished her explanation, and propped the door to her room open. "Alright then, you're all free to go," she said with a smile. "Please remain calm, and don't get too rowdy out there, okay?"

The class began standing up, and students either flocked to the door to leave, or gathered around each other to decide what they wanted to do with their friends. Before I could even get up, I could feel a tapping on my shoulder. I turned in my seat to find Moka grinning at me. "Peter, let's join the same club!" she cried.

 _Should have seen that one coming._

I turned to Kurumu. "Did anybody mention the rules regarding clubs to you? Do you have to join the same club as me?"

Kurumu nodded. "I've got to be in the same club as you, though we're supposed to leave if you feel that the club is a bad influence."

Which meant that we needed to find a club that suited all three of us—or four, if the symbiote decided to offer its own input. Two clubs immediately sprang into my mind, seeing as I had considered joining them before in order to have something to do. The first was the Public Safety Committee, though I wasn't sure if they were a club or not. I had considered joining them because they were a sort of police force for the school, and since I was used to fighting crime, I figured that I'd fit right in. But Moka wanted to join the same club as me, and Kurumu was _required_ to join the same club as me. And as powerful as the inner Moka was, her outer personality just didn't seem capable of handling a club like that. Kurumu, on the other hand, was something of a wild card, but I didn't want to take any chances. From what little I knew, the Public Safety Committee seemed a bit shady.

That left the other club I had in mind: the Newspaper Club. "Say," I began. "How do you girls feel about joining the Newspaper Club?"

Moka blinked. "Huh, I didn't really consider that. But it sounds fun!"

Kurumu shrugged with a small smile. "I don't mind that one. But, shouldn't we check out the other clubs first? Just in case there's something better?"

"We could, sure," I replied. No harm in looking around. I got up from my seat, an action that Moka and Kurumu mirrored, and the three of us headed out the door.

"So why the Newspaper Club?" asked Moka.

"Oh, an old friend of mine once worked as a reporter," I lied. "I thought it was interesting as a kid, and considered working for the newspaper. This is just a chance to see what it's like to be in that kind of environment. Plus I figured it'd be fun, seeing as there's plenty going on at the school."

If I told them that I was a photographer who sold pictures to the Daily Bugle, they might ask to see some of my work. And ninety-nine percent of my photos had Spider-Man in them. And ninety percent of _those_ showed off the black suit. All of them, however, had the undeniable potential to reveal my identity to the girls—a risk I didn't want to take.

Our hunt for a club started indoors. There were a few interesting clubs that we found along the way, but the majority of the ones we saw came off as strange and undesirable. This was due in no small part to the fact that each and every club seemed to have a horrible habit of picking the _absolute_ _worst_ individuals to advertise their clubs. Take for example the Photography Club; the student at the booth asks if we want to take pictures of ghosts with him and his group, and then he turns to Moka and Kurumu and asks if they're okay with nudes.

It was safe to say that neither Kurumu nor Moka wanted anything to do with that club.

Or the Chemistry Club. What should have been a group devoted to science attempted to give Moka and Kurumu love potions.

Love potions.

By the time we got outside, I was ready to punch the next person who attempted to hit on Moka or Kurumu just because they did it in the _creepiest way possible_.

"I have seen some weird things," I muttered as we stepped outside. "But these clubs take the cake. What do you even do at a Mummy Club? Mummify things? And why is there an actual mummy advertising the club? What if someone thinks that's his true form?"

Kurumu chuckled. "Stuff like this not common at your old schools?"

I snorted. "Nope. Human schools were a lot more…normal. We didn't have anything this crazy back home."

Save for the occasional gym teacher-slash-super-assassin.

Moka had stopped walking and turned to me with an odd look. "We?" she asked. "What do you mean by 'we'?"

I blinked in confusion and stared right back. "What?"

"You said that ' _we_ didn't have anything this crazy back home'," said Moka uneasily.

 _Crap_.

"Err, right," I said awkwardly. "Sorry about that, I've been taught to refer to myself as a human since I spent most of my time surrounded by them. Can't go around talking to human students like I'm not one of them, right?"

Moka paused and grinned. "Oh, okay!"

 _Phew, crisis averted._

The symbiote informed me that I should be more careful around Moka and Kurumu, as well as any other monsters around here. A simple slip of the tongue could lead to disastrous results. The three of us continued on with our search for a suitable club. The Newspaper Club was still fresh in my mind, but like Kurumu said, we should take the time to look through what else was offered. Eventually, we saw a crowd of male students forming around a club. The sign above their booth read 'Swimming Club', and in front of said booth stood an attractive girl with long turquoise hair.

Seriously, what was with these monsters and crazy hair colors? Blue, pink, and I was pretty sure I had seen some guy with green hair wandering around.

"—and since we have no male members, all you fellas are sure to get special attention if you join our club," said the girl. The male students listening to her were practically _drooling_ over her, hanging on every word that left her mouth. I shook my head in disapproval. "So come join the Swimming Club!" continued the girl, prompting dozens of students to cheer and run forward to sign up.

"Wow, looks like the Swimming Club is doing well," muttered Kurumu. "You guys think we should join this club?"

"Eh, I don't think so," I said automatically. For one, I knew for a fact that Moka was weak to water, so forcing her to join the swimming club could get her killed. On top of that, swimming didn't really interest me all that much. "It just doesn't like something I'd personally get into. What about you Moka?"

The vampire smiled sheepishly. "Ah ha, I don't think swimming's my thing."

Kurumu just shrugged. "Alright, I guess we'll keep go—"

"Oh my," said the familiar voice of the turquoise-haired girl. "Moka Akashiya and Kurumu Kurono? Here?" The three of turned to see the owner of the voice approaching us. "And Peter Parker too? Well isn't this my lucky day?"

I raised an eyebrow. Knowing Moka and Kurumu, they had probably attracted a lot of male attention, and their names probably floated around the student body. But my name? Why would this girl know me? "Hello," I began calmly. "Who might you be?"

The girl stopped and smiled. "Oh, pardon me," she began "I'm Tamao Ichinose, captain of the Swimming Club."

"Nice to meet you!" Moka chirped. Kurumu just smiled and waved at the captain.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," I said. "You seem to already know us though. Why's that?"

"Oh?" Tamao asked innocently. "Everyone knows who Moka Akashiya is, and as of recently, the name Kurumu Kurono has become pretty common as well."

"So why's my name among such celebrities?" I asked. Tamao giggled.

"There are rumors," she said with a wink. "Two of the most popular girls in our grade hanging around one guy? You can bet that his name will get around."

"Wonderful," I mumbled. "I don't even want to hear what those rumors are saying."

Tamao only giggled once more at my response. "So, are the three of you planning on joining the Swimming Club? Having Moka Akashiya and Kurumu Kurono in swimsuits would definitely attract attention…"

Moka's face flushed red while Kurumu only grinned victoriously. "Yeah, I tend to turn heads," she said with a shrug.

 _As confident as ever, I see. Is that a succubus thing?_

"But sadly," continued Kurumu. "We weren't really planning on it. Looking for the 'Newspaper Club' at the moment while checking stuff out on the way. You know where it is?"

"The Newspaper Club?" asked Tamao. "No, can't say I know where it is."

"Do you at least know if it's normal?" I asked hopefully. Tamao raised an eyebrow.

"Define normal."

I turned around and waved a hand, gesturing to all the club booths and stations. "The opposite of all that."

"I'd say it's a little…tamer," replied Tamao with a short chuckle.

Phew, at least my club of choice was supposed to be normal. "Well, thank you for your time," I said while turning away. "Good luck with your club." Kurumu and Moka gave Tamao short waved before moving to follow me.

"Pity," I heard Tamao mutter before she said something else, but I didn't hear it. The three of us continued on for a while, trying and failing to find the Newspaper Club. No club that we saw along the way seemed like something I'd want to join, and Kurumu and Moka seemed to feel the same way about just about every club we encountered up until that point.

Eventually, we found ourselves back by the school. "Good grief, where _is_ that club?" I asked tiredly.

"What if it no longer exists?" asked Moka. "Maybe the Newspaper Club was disbanded or something?"

"Which means we'd have to choose from one of the many other clubs we ran across," muttered Kurumu. "Ugh, and I can think of only, like, _four_ normal clubs out of all of them."

I groaned. Both of my choices had been ruled out, which only left a few clubs that were actually good picks. "And out of those four choices," I mumbled. "Which one interests you guys the most?"

Kurumu shrugged. "I still think the Swimming Club is a good idea." I noticed Moka flinch at that. "And that Running Club seemed okay," she continued. "Or—" Kurumu was interrupted as a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the area. I jerked around, turning to face the direction from which the noise had come from.

And it seemed to have come directly from the pool area.

Another scream pierced the air, and I could hear shouting coming from the pool. Kurumu and Moka stood frozen in place, their gazes glued to the pool as well.

I was moving before I knew it. A year of running towards screaming and shouting had installed this kind of reaction in me. With nothing to swing off of in the immediate area, I took off at a full sprint, straight for the pool. I didn't know if Moka or Kurumu were behind me, and I didn't care. All I cared about was getting to the pool and finding out what was going on. The symbiote writhed in anticipation and preparation—the kind of reaction it had become accustomed to after months of the two of us charging into the fray.

I reached my destination in seconds. When close enough, I bent my legs and took a leap, sailing through the air and landing on the fence that surrounded the pool area. The symbiote wanted to envelop me in the black suit, but I told it to wait. We didn't understand the situation yet, and I wanted to see what was going on first.

What I saw left me speechless.

What looked like mermaids raced around the pool, ganging up on the students that had joined earlier. Several fought back, either throwing the mermaid creatures off themselves, while some just made a beeline for land. Others, however, weren't so lucky. The mermaids outnumbered just about everyone else in the pool at least two-to-one, and they were rapidly gaining the upper hand. Several of them chomped down on the shoulders of unfortunate swimmers, and I watched as their victims literally aged before my eyes, shriveling up until they looked like old men.

It took just over a second for me to process all this, and less than half a second for the symbiote to transform into the black suit. I leapt off the fence, heading straight for the pool. Immediately, I shot a pair of web lines to either side of me, each attaching itself to a student. I yanked both arms to the side, sending both students flying out of the pool. The symbiote blasted a net of black webbing in their general direction. The net latched onto two lampposts, just as the two students flew into it, becoming tangled in the dark webbing, but landing without broken bones or other injures.

As I neared the water, several mermaids looked up, and as they did so, I planted my foot into the face of one of the many girls in the pool, using her head as something of a launch pad to throw myself into the air again. More web lines shot from my wrists, attaching themselves to struggling students and yanking them out of the clutches of the mermaids.

A blur shot by me, and I glanced to my right to see Kurumu rocketing towards the pool, wings unfurled and arms outstretched as she plucked a student from the grasp of two mermaids. I smiled at the succubus' actions.

With little effort, I threw two more students into the web net the symbiote had created, all while Kurumu retrieved more students from the pool. The mermaids had completely forgotten their would-be prey, and were now focusing on Kurumu and me.

"Well, well, well," said a sultry voice as I plummeted to the ground. I spun around on my heel just as my foot hit dry land, only to find Tamao Ichinose grinning at me from the pool, her mouth had become larger, and her face had strange markings on it. Her ears had also changed—they now looked like fins, which matched her fish tail. The mermaid's webbed fingers were wrapped around the arm of a shriveled male student who floated helplessly next to her. "So the two of you have decided to return, I see," she said with a giggle. "Where's Moka?"

I blinked. Where _was_ Moka? I resisted the urge to take my eyes off Tamao, mostly because I had no clue what mermaids were capable of. For all I knew, they were S-Class monsters.

 _Moka probably got left behind when I took off...Kurumu could keep up, but Moka's just not fast enough._

"Here's a better question," I began. "What's going on here?"

Tamao raised an eyebrow. "You're not very perceptive, are you? Take a wild guess."

"I can tell you what's _about_ to happen," I replied. "My fist and your face are about to become very well acquainted. Heck, maybe I'll even introduce you to my foot."

"Ha! Look around you friend," Tamao mocked. "This is a _pool_ and we're _mermaids_. We're in our home element—you don't stand a chance." My eyes drifted down to the water, noting the dozens of mermaids that lay submerged beneath the surface. She was right about that; underwater combat wasn't exactly my specialty.

I glanced to the side, watching as Kurumu retrieved the last of the non-mermaid students from the water.

"You know, I could just get a teacher," I said slowly. "Not like you can leave the pool without losing your advantage."

Tamao grinned, holding up a webbed hand in front of her face as her lips curled impossibly high up her face. "And you really think that'll help?"she asked dangerously. "Go ahead then, bring me some male teachers. More food for the rest of us. Feel free to come in for a swim as well, you smell so exotic; you musttaste amazing…"

Again with the 'exotic smell' thing?

"And you smell like a fish," I retorted while stepping forward. "But that's to be expected, isn't it?"

Tamao hissed at me. "'Smell like a fish' you say?" she asked while glaring at me, a dark shadow passing over her face. "You'll pay for that."

I snorted before turning to look at Kurumu as she descended to the ground. I was about to yell out for someone to go inform the teachers when a familiar voice shouted my name.

"Peter!"

Moka burst through the gate that led into the pool area, panting slightly from the run. Tamao turned at the sound of the vampire's voice. "Moka," she said cheerfully. "How nice of you to join us! I was just about to turn Peter into my next meal."

Other mermaids began giggling while looking between Moka and me. "Oh come on Tamao," said one mermaid. "You can't hog him all to yourself. You should share," she sang.

"Helllooo," I said with an exaggerated wave. "I'm right here. Really, you're all so rude. But if you want to take a bite out of me so badly, why don't you come up here and try it?" I asked while beckoning them over.

Tamao chuckled. "No, I don't think so. Much easier to get you into the water."

I grinned. "And how do plan on doing that?"

I immediately tensed when I saw the confident look on Tamao's face. She had something planned. I knew she did.

The girl.

I inhaled sharply at the symbiote's warning, whirling around to look at Moka, who still stood on the far side of the pool by the entrance. "Moka!" I shouted. "Run!"

Too late.

Four mermaids leapt from the pool at incredible speeds, transforming midair and landing on newly-formed feet. They were upon Moka before she could react, dragging her to the pool. The vampire screamed and shoved one of the mermaids away, sending the female flying for several meters, but the remaining three dragged her into the water before I could do anything about it.

And the moment she made contact with the liquid, Moka's body erupted with lightning. The mermaids shouted in surprise and backed off instantly, leaving Moka to flounder helplessly as massive amounts of electricity danced around her body. I shielded my eyes from the blinding display, as did many other students. Surprisingly, the mermaids weren't being electrocuted by being in the same pool as Moka.

On instinct, I shot a pair of web lines at Moka, both of them finding their mark. Again to my surprise, the electricity didn't travel along the lines and shock me, but I didn't question my luck. I jerked Moka out of the water, directly into my waiting arms. She landed with a pained grunt, the electricity still whirling around her body. She groaned weakly, her eyes shut in agony.

What was I supposed to do?! I didn't know how to help a vampire who had been exposed to water!

Suddenly, Moka's rosary burst into life, the red-pink glow bathing Moka's chest in its light. _**"Peter!"**_ shouted the inner Moka. _**"Remove the rosary! I'm more capable of handling the effects of water than the other Moka! Hurry!"**_

I didn't question her. My hand shot out, grasping the rosary, and with a yank, it came off with a soft clink. Familiar pink light filled my vision, momentarily blinding me once more as Moka's body reacted and transformed. A swarm of bats descended from the midday sky, surrounding and sticking to the vampire. Seconds later, they exploded into action, flying away from Moka, revealing her new form.

The mermaids uttered a collective gasp, and I could see Kurumu staring at Moka with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape. At this point, all eyes were on the new Moka, and underneath all the lighting that still sparked around her body, there was an angry glare.

Which was directed right at Tamao.

"You," hissed Moka. "Have just made a grave mistake, _minnow_. First the succubus and her poison, and now an attempt at drowning me?" She shook her head. "I believe it high time I show you all the error of threatening a vampire." The silver-haired Moka took a step closer to the water, craning her neck as she stared down at the mermaids. "So, which of you shall I start with?"

Tamao stared in awe, but the shock slowly faded from her face, replaced by a confident smile. She began laughing as she looked Moka up and down. "Seriously? Who do you think you're fooling? We're in our home element, while you're at your weakest here. Plus, you've already been damaged. What on Earth makes you think you can win?! You're outnumbered and outmatched here!"

"And I'm apparently invisible," I muttered, stepping closer to Moka. "I can get her out of the water for you, but she'll only run back in if I put her on land without restraining her. You think you can take care of her if I launch her into the air?"

Moka snorted. "I could take care of her while still in the water if I pleased."

"Swallow your pride," I said quietly. "I know vampires and water don't mix. You're not going into the pool."

The vampire paused. "You knew about that?"

"Of course. Why do you think I didn't want to join the Swimming Club?" I asked. "Your other half would have followed me and gotten herself killed."

Moka hesitated before smiling. "Get that fish into the air. I'll take care of the rest."

I smiled before stepping in front of Moka. The symbiote created a miniature pocket for me, and I dropped the rosary into it while the alien shut itself around the trinket. Tamao still watched us with her confident smirk. "Well?" she asked smugly. "Any last words?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," I replied cheerfully. "Ever heard of a flying fish?"

Tamao blinked. "What?"

Before she had even spoken, I had already fired a web line at her. As the word left her mouth, the webbing attached itself firmly to her torso. The mermaid looked down in confusion at my web line. Before she could grab it, however, I leapt over the pool, flipping midair while holding onto the webbing and yanking on it. The effect was similar to a fishing pole—ironically—and the web line reeled Tamao up and out of the water. The mermaid yelped as she was lifted against her will, rising dozens of feet into the air before she knew what was happening.

"She's all yours!" I shouted to Moka. The vampire was already flying through the air, straight for Tamao. She flipped forward and aimed her heel at the rapidly-rising mermaid.

"Know your place!" roared Moka as her foot connected with Tamao's face, sending the mermaid plummeting back down to the pool. The symbiote silently approved of the kick, and I couldn't help but agree with it on the fact that the kick was well executed. Tamao, meanwhile, shrieked while she flew down to the pool. Still holding onto the web line, I was dragged down with her, straight past a satisfied-looking Moka.

Halfway down, the symbiote shot a web line out to either side of us, both attaching to lampposts on opposite sides of the pool. My descent was halted, and I was left suspended a dozen feet above the pool. I grinned as I took aim at the remaining mermaids.

Balls of webbing shot from my wrists, hitting the unsuspecting and confused mermaids. I swiveled around like a turret, repeatedly firing the impact webbing at my targets, usually hitting them in the face. I noticed Kurumu dive from the sky, grabbing another mermaid and throwing her onto dry land. Moka, meanwhile, landed on the symbiote's web line, which threw my aim off momentarily, and then a second time when she leapt off.

Some of the students who had recently been saved from the mermaids began cheering from beside the pool, and several seconds later, the remaining ocean-dwellers were all struggling to remove globs of webbing from their faces, or other body parts. I pulled myself up on top of the symbiote's web lines and bounced off, landing on the ground and turning to face a smiling vampire.

"Like shooting fish in a barrel," I joked while jerking my head towards the angry mermaids.

"Get this stuff off me!" yelled one.

"What is this crap?! It's not coming off!" shouted another.

"Calm down, calm down, it'll dissolve after a while!" I shouted with a mock wave before looking back to the Moka. "You alright?"

"I am fine, thank you," she replied, but I could see the strain written on her face now that I had had a good look at her.

"You're not fine," I pointed out. "You don't look very well."

"I need time," she quickly replied. "The effects of the water will subside on their own. Do not worry."

It was then that I heard a soft thud behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed Kurumu slowly approaching us until she stood at my side, eyes wide as she watched Moka. "A vampire," she whispered. "One of those rare S-Class super monsters. I never imagined…"

Moka glared at Kurumu. "Yes, I assumed you put little thought into what we were when you were poisoning us," she said dryly.

Kurumu flinched and stepped back slightly. I realized that this was technically the meeting that Moka had desired, as she was finally getting to speak to Kurumu. The succubus, meanwhile, backed up and actually hid behind me, making sure that I was in between her and Moka. The vampire glared at her for a few more seconds before sighing.

"Be grateful that Peter was so willing to show you mercy," she said slowly. "I would have made sure you were taught a painful lesson. But what's done is done, and here we are." Moka turned away with a soft huff. "See to it that we never have a repeat of that situation. Peter, the rosary, if you will."

I retrieved the cross from the symbiote's makeshift pocket and tossed it to Moka. "Will the other Moka be able to handle the effects of the water?" I asked.

"She will be fine," said the silver-haired vampire. "She will need time, but she'll be fine. Don't bother taking her to the infirmary—the method for returning stolen life force is difficult and time consuming, so the nurses will be busy saving the lives of the mermaids' victims. The other Moka and I do not require medical attention. Make sure that these mermaids are reported as well." My eyes widened as I remembered the shriveled students, and I almost failed to catch Moka as she put on her rosary and began transforming back into the bubbly girl I had come to know. I looked down to make sure she was okay before turning to face the remaining students.

"Someone go get the teachers!" I shouted. "And make sure you bring back some nurses! We've got students that have had the life force sucked out of them, and we've got a bunch of subdued mermaids that need to answer for their crimes. We'll stay here and keep these gals in check!"

A few students stood up and ran off, while a few sat by some of their friends-turned-old men. Other students approached us and sat down around the pool. "We'll help you keep watch," said a large male. I gave him a nod and turned to look back at the struggling mermaids. I had my eyes on them for roughly ten seconds before I heard Kurumu yelp in surprise. Whirling to face her, I was treated to the sight of several students hugging her.

"You saved our lives!" one of them shouted. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

Kurumu shifted and laughed unsurely under all the attention—she was probably unused to people thanking her for rescuing them from mortal danger. I found myself smiling at the scene. A few students came to thank me as well, but it was more of a verbal expression, rather than a hugging fest. After the students expressed their gratitude, they backed off a bit, giving Kurumu and I some space.

"So…who was that?" Kurumu asked unsurely. "The vampire with the silver hair, I mean. She didn't seem to be the same person as the other Moka. And her transformation worked differently from what I could tell."

"That was Moka's other half," I replied while keeping an eye on the mermaids. Most of them had realized that they weren't going anywhere, and with their leader gone, they had silently submitted. "The half that is released when the rosary is removed."

Kurumu gulped. "And…does she forgive me to?"

I sighed. "I think she does, but she might come off as a bit aggressive." It occurred to me that the inner Moka could actually be listening to us from the rosary. "I mean, she was a lot angrier when she first requested to speak to you. Her actual conversation with you was a lot shorter than I expected. I think she's letting go of the past."

"Oh…okay," said Kurumu. "So, they're two people? In one body?"

I shrugged. "I honestly don't know how they function. What I know is that, when the rosary's on, you'll see the outer Moka. When it's removed, the inner Moka comes out. She's, as you can tell, a _lot_ more powerful than her outer personality. Don't ask how or why they exist in this manner because I have no idea."

Kurumu silently nodded and turned back to watch the pool.

The rest of the time was spent watching the mermaids, and occasionally hitting some of the more rebellious ones with webbing to keep them subdued. The black suit had melted away by that point, replaced by the school uniform, and it wasn't long before several teachers and nurses came onto the scene.

Some of said teachers were flabbergasted to find me in the middle of a situation involving crazy students for the _third_ time in just over a week. Since there were already plenty of witnesses, Moka, Kurumu, and I were dismissed and allowed to leave, which was a welcome change from having to deal with the aftermath of everything. Whatever happened to those mermaids from this point on was no longer up to us.

On the way back to the school, I held a still-unconscious Moka. Kurumu walked beside me, excitedly recalling the day's events. "And then you went all super-gunner on them with those webs, and I was swooshing in, grabbing those dumb bitches like fish! Ha, that was amazing!" she said with a laugh.

As seemingly characteristic of her, her confident attitude returned fast, even after seeing the inner Moka—possibly because she already knew that she was forgiven. I smiled as I watched the succubus eagerly bounce around as she told her story. "Hey, Kurumu," I began. "You remember those guys that thanked you?"

A softer smile came across Kurumu's face. "Yeah…the look in their eyes…they were so _happy_ ," she whispered.

"They were overjoyed," I said. "You saved lives today. I'm proud of you. Those people are alive because of you. You're a hero to them."

The succubus blushed a little and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, well, heh heh, I just did what I thought was right at the time."

"Exactly," I said with a nod. "This is good, very good. You're on the right path here. The fact that you _wanted_ to help them is an exceptionally good start. Keep this up and you'll be free to wander around on your own in no time." Moka, meanwhile, finally began stirring in my arms as I carried her. Her eyelids slowly rose, revealing the green irises beneath. She looked up at me in confusion before gasping and springing to attention.

"The mermaids, the pool; is everyone alright?!" she cried. "I don't remember anything from after the other Moka put the rosary back on."

"The students are fine," I calmly told her. "The mermaids are being dealt with, and we're on our way back to school. The nurses are busy dealing with the shriveled students, and the other Moka told me that you'll be fine with a little time, so I'm hoping that you won't need to see the nurses. Can you walk?"

Moka paused and gave her legs a few experimental swings before she nodded. I gently set her down, and after a second of wobbling, she was steady. Once she gave me a reassuring smile, I stepped back, put my hands on my hips, and sighed. "What a day," I muttered. "And we still didn't find a club to join."

Kurumu blinked before clapping a hand to her forehead and laughing. "Wow, during all that, I completely forgot that we were looking for the Newspaper Club."

Moka giggled from my other side. "Yeah, sorry Peter. You seemed pretty keen on joining that club."

"I was," I said tiredly. "Sucks that we never found it."

"Never found what?" asked a cheerful voice. We turned to find Miss Nekonome approaching us with a slightly cocked head. "You three looking for something?"

"Oh, hi Miss Nekonome!" Moka said with a smile. "We were looking for the Newspaper Club, but then, um…"

"Crazy mermaids," I deadpanned from beside her. "That pretty much sums up the afternoon."

"Meow? The Newspaper Club?" Miss Nekonome clasped her hands together. "Oh that's wonderful! Finally, someone wants to join my club!"

I blinked. " _Your_ club?" I asked.

"Why yes!" replied the teacher. "You see, I'm the adviser for the Newspaper Club. You three want to join, right?"

I stared at her for several seconds before suppressing a groan. The Newspaper Club had been right under our noses the whole time!

The symbiote interrupted my bout of frustration by informing me that, if it weren't for our search for the Newspaper Club, we might not have stumbled across the Swimming Club. More people might have gotten hurt had we not intervened.

 _You're right. I guess it was a good thing that we missed the Newspaper Club this morning, huh?_

"Yeah, we were planning on joining," I replied with a smile. "You got room for three new recruits?"

"Of course!" said Miss Nekonome. "Right this way, I'll get you guys signed up!"

She turned and began eagerly walking. I moved to follow, but was forced to pause as Moka gave me a surprise hug. "Oh, I'm so happy! We're in the same club!" I chuckled quietly before gently prying the over-affectionate vampire off me.

"So we are," I replied. Moka grinned and began skipping ahead, Kurumu not too far behind her, while I trailed behind them. I stopped for a moment and took a second to reflect upon the day's events, and while I might have been a little annoyed that the students here were so uncontrollable, I realized that it was part of what was keeping me calm around here. Between Saizou, Kurumu, and the mermaids, I was simulating my life as Spider-Man pretty well, which left me with a contented symbiote, and satisfied my desire to use my powers to help people.

 _You know…this place…it might not be as bad as I thought._

The only question now was: what would I find next?

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Confident Kurumu:** _The anime and manga showed that Kurumu had quickly regained her cheerful attitude after her defeat at the hands of Inner Moka. It took almost no time for Kurumu to get used to Inner Moka. So with that information at hand, I returned Kurumu's confidence to her pretty quickly._

 **Moka's Recovery:** _In the manga, it took her a bit of time to recover from the effects of the water, but she also spent much more time in the water in the anime/manga than she did in my story, so I shortened her recovery time._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Remzal Von Enili:** _No, this symbiote does not drain life force directly. Its abilities aren't strictly based off the Spectacular Spider-Man universe either, they're based off multiple universes. The symbiote's hunger might receive an explanation in the future (I'm thinking of having Peter go over it), but the biology of it all hasn't been set in stone yet. Peter might not have cancer, but he has cells that have been altered by radiation from the spider bite, which can be cancerous in their own right. It is possible, however, that he secretes enough adrenaline to keep the symbiote fed, given his life and habits, as well as his involvement with school issues such as fights. And I don't think I'll have this symbiote eat any brains or chocolate, mostly because that was from older storylines (I think), and it might confuse people who didn't read those particular comics. But you're right, this could be a usable plot point, so thanks for that. Finally, I'm not sure about throwing Carnage in (I'd want him to be Cletus Kasady, not some random student), but the idea is still cool. Maybe I will, maybe I won't, but at this point, I probably won't. Sorry :/_

 **Zeemz:** _Yeah, last chapter was geared toward actually progressing with the story, as opposed to the last bits of Kurumu's arc. And believe it or not, I am in fact a novice writer, and this is only my second story (my first was kinda bad to be honest). All the same, I'm glad that my portrayal of these characters actually comes off as realistic._

 **Messiaus0015:** _Thanks! I haven't actually read The Other (I'm assuming you're referring to the Spider-Man comic), so I don't know enough to include it in the story, but I'm thinking I should actually read it._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thank you._

 **Jose19:** _This Spider-Man has his reasons for keeping the symbiote, don't worry. Peter will lighten up as he grows more accepting of his new circumstances, and he hasn't given Moka his blood for a lot of reasons, but a big one is that it's radioactive; it could kill her for all he knows._

 **Arachnophile801:** _Yeah, some stories just make the romance feel too unnatural, sometimes through character actions or through the pairing itself. Thank you for the compliments, it's good to know that my attempts at making this story feel realistic are appreciated by the audience. And thank you for the manga website suggestions too. Oh, and it was Volume 2 from Part 1 (I'm further now, though not by much). Glad you're liking the way I'm developing Peter and Kurumu's relationship. At least I know that people are accepting my decision there. I do agree that dirty lies aren't part of Peter's personality, but you've got to admit that he's sort of adept at keeping secrets. Experience with hiding his superhuman nature and second face is pretty much the only thing that's prepared him for keeping his secrets from the girls (plus the tendency of fictional characters in these superhero universes to utterly fail at making a connection helps too). Alright then, shorter reply (trying to condense everything to avoid bloating the word-count with responses), so sorry about that. You know the drill; tell me if I missed anything, enjoy the chapter, and feel free to drop a review (because I really appreciate it). Stay awesome man._

 **Lets Do That Again:** _Awesome! It's good to hear that my work is standing out. As for the chocolate, you really threw me for a loop there. I thought the original question the other reviewer asked was just meant as a joke, so I didn't really take it seriously. I guess I'll have to mention that to him if/when he writes another review. Thank you for pointing that out though, I'd never have found out on my own, seeing as I didn't think it was an actual thing :)_

 **SonicAnime2010:** _Yeah, in older storylines, the Venom symbiote actually started out as a good guy (its entire race did, actually). In some of the newer comics (they're still old, just newer than the previously mentioned ones), the Venom symbiote was insane from the beginning. Anyway, for the quipping during the battle scenes, I've been using fewer jokes because, for one, this is the black suited Spider-Man—I've always pictured him as more of the sarcastic type, but with still a few jokes thrown in here and there. The other reason, as well as the main one, is that I'd like to deliver good quality quips for the actual fights, and I'm not entirely sure if I can do that, because my sense of humor can be a little weird. I've been thinking of adding more jokes in for the fights as Peter grows more comfortable in Yōkai to show that he's becoming more cheerful, so hopefully, I don't screw that up. It's basically me experimenting at this point, so I'll try throwing a few more quips in._

 **Smthcrmnl1:** _Thanks friend! It's very encouraging to hear someone say that!_

 **seem14:** _It may get someone's attention, yes. Peter's "true form" doesn't exactly match the typical spider monster found in Yōkai Academy._

 **lakero45:** _Actually, Peter wasn't boasting about his ability to harm Kurumu. His goal was to intimidate her so that she'll have a reason to confess, and it would also help set her on the right path when he showed her mercy. The idea here is that Peter showing mercy to Kurumu would have more of an impact on her if she KNEW that he could obliterate her. As for magic-based characters, I don't think I'll be throwing them in. I know next to nothing about them—save for Blade—mostly because I prefer the ones that are grounded in science, so I read about them. Sorry if you were hoping for a Ghost Rider appearance though._

 **Kharn:** _Oooh, I like the "destroy his reputation" idea. I don't think Peter would beat a sleeping person, but if he's angry enough, I think he might be willing to ruin someone's reputation. Or, rather, he might transform into something that would be willing to do that…Thanks for the suggestion, I might use that one!_

 **xYuukito:** _Yeah, sorry about that. I should have guessed that it would annoy somebody in the audience, but PMs aren't working properly for some of the reviewers (not sure whose end the problem is on), so I can't reply through them. I'm not sure how to remedy this problem right now, so until something can be done, please bear with me. This particular chapter is around seven thousand words, so you've at least got a chapter that's decent in length to enjoy today._

 **Pyromania101:** _I've actually toyed with the idea of throwing Tsukune into the mix, but not as a major character—maybe I'll have him appear in a few scenes, interact with the main cast a bit, etc._

 **tdychko:** _Hey there, sorry it took so long to get back to you. Anyway, thanks for all your feedback on previous chapters. Writing Moka was difficult, so hearing others' opinions on that chapter really helps. Maybe I did make her a bit too ditzy. As for Peter, I don't have him show much reaction to the girls because he just isn't the type of guy to get easily flustered. He's not gay, he's just pretty used to outrageous situations, and he doesn't give much thought to the fact that he's got the two most popular girls in his grade around him. Alright then, if I missed anything in your reviews, please point it out. Until then, enjoy the next chapter._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _Don't worry, I know about Peter's academic abilities. Thank you, though, for the suggestion on Kurumu's place. You're right: she didn't flirt with Peter and would have spent more time studying, so yeah, her score would be higher. Thank you for pointing that out, I completely forgot. As for Yukari; we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I think you may have given me a new idea for her with your suggestion, so again, thank you. And for the quote about Inner Moka, I can definitely see Peter making use of it, so unless I forget, I think I've got a place for it (that's three ideas you've given me, so thank you). Finally, Peter's control of the symbiote will sort of fluctuate (it's hard to explain), so you'll have to wait and see. His costume, at this point, will remain as the black suit (I believe you're thinking of the Anti-Venom symbiote)._

 **A/N:** _So yeah, here I am again. Don't know how much free time I have on my hands, but I'll be spending lots of it in front of my laptop, tapping away like a madman. Thank you to everyone for being so patient with my retarded schedule._

 **-Chapter 10: Bump in the Night-**

I looked around the oddly empty room, eyes slightly narrowed in confusion. "Um, Miss Nekonome?" I began hesitantly. "Are we…the only members?"

The cat-eared teacher just laughed. "Oh, of course not! Your club president has yet to arrive."

"And…is this club president the only other person here?" asked Kurumu. "Because there are only three of us here now—four counting you, Miss Nekonome."

"Well," the teacher laughed. "The Newspaper Club isn't the largest of clubs. So, right now, besides you three, the club president is the only other member."

 _Why's this club so empty? It's like nobody paid it any attention._

"Well, he'll be here any minute," continued Miss Nekonome. "Just sit tight and give him some time. I need to get going guys, so have fun and enjoy your first day in the Newspaper Club!" With that, the woman cheerfully walked out, leaving the three of us alone to wait for our president. With nothing to do, I leaned back in my chair, propping myself on the seat and looking up at the ceiling.

It was the day after the Swimming Club event. Miss Nekonome had showed us this room yesterday, making sure we knew the way here. The room itself looked like just about every other classroom in this school, except it was a little smaller. There wasn't enough time for us to meet the club president yesterday, so today was the day we were supposed to be introduced to him.

"So, uh, does anybody here know who our club president is supposed to be?" asked Moka.

"Not me," I said with a shrug. Kurumu just shook her head. "Does anybody know why the club is so empty?" I asked. The answer I received was both girls shaking their heads. Sighing, I resigned myself to waiting silently. Eventually, the doorknob to the classroom door shook slightly and then turned. "Finally," I muttered.

The door opened, revealing a taller student carrying bouquets of flowers. "I'm sorry for being so late," said a male voice. "But there were a few things I needed to pick up on the way here." He moved the flowers slightly, revealing a smiling face and dark hair held up by a red hair band. "Hey there, I'm Ginei Morioka, but you can call me Gin."

 _Flowers? That's a new one. At least he's not staring at the girls._

"One for you," Ginei said while handing Moka one of the two bouquets. "And one for you," he finished while giving the other to Kurumu before standing back and putting his hands on his hips. "Those flowers make you two look even lovelier than you already are." His eyes finally settled on me, and he gave me a short nod in greeting. I smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? No flowers for me?" I shook my head. "I'm hurt."

Ginei chuckled. "Sorry champ, I only bring flowers for the ladies. Nice to meet you though," he added while holding out his hand. I got up, standing a bit shorter than him, and grasped his outstretched limb and gave it a shake.

"Peter Parker, right?" asked Ginei. "When Miss Nekonome gave me a short rundown of my new club members, I never expected a foreigner. This school doesn't get too many of those."

"Yeah, well," I shrugged. "Not every day you get to visit a new country, right?"

It was also pretty difficult to resist Aunt May when she put her mind to something _._

"Yeah, you're right about that," began Ginei before turning to look at all of us at once. "Okay then! Since we missed the chance to talk yesterday, how about we get started right away?" The three of us nodded and pulled up our seats to the front desk. Ginei grabbed a chair and situated himself across from us. "Let's get down to business. As your club president, it's my job to show you guys the ropes. So to start off, let me explain what this club is all about. We write, edit, and publish the school newspaper, and it's our job to acquire stories and all their juicy details. Which means that we sometimes throw ourselves into harm's way."

Ginei's expression suddenly grew serious. "So you guys better prepare yourselves!" he all but shouted as he stood up, spreading his arms. "Because this club's _not_ for the faint of heart!"

"Wow, he sounds like a very serious reporter," Moka whispered to me.

"But…sometimes we just report on the normal stuff," Ginei finished with a shrug while sitting back down.

 _Okay…that's one way to introduce a newspaper club…_

"So, does anybody here have any personal experience with a newspaper? Any of you ever worked for one?" Ginei asked. The three of us shook our heads—though I assumed that only two were telling the truth. "Well, that's alright," said Ginei. "I'll make reporters out of you guys yet! But, to do that, we'll need a story. Does anybody have any good ideas for one?"

The question caught me off guard, and I found myself wondering if we could report on yesterday's Swimming Club incident. Before I could voice my opinion, however, Kurumu spoke up. "How about that peeping tom guy?" I blinked, turning to her in confusion.

"Peeping tom? What peeping tom?" I asked.

"You haven't heard? There's some pervert going around campus peeping on girls," Kurumu said with a frown. "The creep's so quick that nobody has a good description of him yet. I think that would make for a good story. Plus, it'd also give us a chance to stop him with the newspaper by exposing him."

"Hmm, I think I agree with her," said Ginei after a moment of hesitation."But if we're going to put a stop to this guy's antics, we need to find ourselves some informants. So the first thing we should do is start asking questions. The average citizen is your best resource after all. I think it'd be best to start with a few posters here and there, just to get peoples' attention and show 'em that the Newspaper Club is trying to catch this guy."

"We have posters?" I asked.

Ginei grinned. "We're going to _make_ posters."

With that, our hunt for the peeping tom began. After a little work, we had a small stack of posters telling readers to come to the Newspaper Club if they had information regarding the pervert on campus. The poster was complete with our club room number, as well as some other contact information. Without a copy machine, we were forced to create each poster by hand, so we had to keep it simple. When it finally came time to hang our creations up, Ginei surprised the three of us by stopping us before we could leave the classroom.

"Hold on," he said. "Let's get posters up in here first. Some other classes use this room, so they'll get a good look at it too."

"Alright," said Kurumu, grabbing a poster from the stack I was carrying. "Where do you want it?"

"I actually want two of them up," said Ginei, motioning for Moka to grab another poster. "Also, you two will need something to stand on. One sec."

I blinked, watching as Ginei grabbed two stools. He placed them by the wall and turned to the girls. "Alright you two, put those posters up," he said. The girls looked to each other before shrugging and getting on the stools. They reached out, placing the posters on the wall, but were stopped by Ginei. "Uh, higher than that please," he said cheerfully.

"Higher?" asked Kurumu. "Seriously?"

"Yup!"

The girls moved their arms higher up the wall, pushing the posters closer towards the ceiling. I, meanwhile, made my way over to Ginei.

"Hey, what's the point of putting the posters up so high?" I asked.

"Is this high enough?" Moka asked from the side.

"Uh, no, I want them just a bit higher," Ginei replied before turning to me. "What'd you say? I didn't catch that."

"I asked why the posters are up so high," I repeated, glancing up at Moka and Kurumu as they struggled to pin the papers to the wall. The two were on their toes now as they attempted to reach as far as possible.

"Just a bit higher!" Ginei called cheerfully from in front of me.

"Ginei," I said slowly. "The posters?"

"Huh? Oh, don't worry, I've got my reasons," he said with a wink before he tried to turn away again.

"And what are these reasons, exactly?" I asked. "Because putting the posters up so high doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense!" replied the older student.

"How? Nobody in this school is tall enough to read a poster that's that high up," I said with a raised eyebrow. "And even if there are people like that, they're not common. Plus, even if someone does see that, most people won't bother reading it because it wouldn't be comfortable—it's just too high up."

"Um, I think Peter's right," Moka added from behind me. Ginei and I looked to the girls, who, in turn, were now facing us. "Putting the posters this high up doesn't make any sense."

"Why can't we just hang them up normally?" asked Kurumu. "It would save us time, and it'd make them easier to read. Heck, it's almost as if we're _trying_ to make the posters difficult to read."

"Look," Ginei said with a chuckle. "I know it's weird, but trust me on this. I know what I'm doing!"

"And what exactly _are_ you doing?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but hanging them up so high is just counterproductive. If we want to catch this pervert, we need information. You said it yourself: your average citizen is your best resource. How are we supposed to take advantage of that resource if we can't get in touch with it?"

"Yeah!" said Kurumu. "Plus, it'll take forever if Moka and I have to stretch out like this to get every poster so high up! It would be a heck of a lot faster if we just put them up normally."

Ginei finally sighed, tilting his head up at the ceiling. "Fine," he drawled out. "We'll hang them up normally. Here, let me put the stools back." The girls got off the stools, and Ginei began to move them back to where they were. The symbiote and I, however, just watched him, both of us pondering just _why_ he had wanted the posters so high up when it was clearly the wrong move. The symbiote also quickly informed me that if Ginei truly thought that hanging the posters up high was for the best, he would have defended his position and explained why he was right.

And yet he did neither.

 _What's his deal?_

The rest of the afternoon was spent putting up our posters and questioning a few people in the process. We found next to nothing on the peeping tom, except for what we already knew—which was very little. The club meeting was eventually called to an end, and Ginei went his own way while the rest of us stuck together for the remainder of the day. We had made a quick trip to the vending machine to restock Moka's supply of tomato juice, and after that, with nothing to do, Kurumu had surprised us by deciding that she should go study since her grades were a little lower than she would have liked. Since I couldn't go to the girls' dorm, I wasn't required to watch over Kurumu while she was in her room. The staff had set some sort of spell that monitored the succubus while she was within the confines of her own home on campus. I had no clue how the spell worked, but it worked, and it meant that I didn't have to watch over Kurumu while she slept or just spent time in her room.

I also didn't understand how she was monitored when she was outside her room, but still in the girls' dorm, but as long as it worked, I was content.

After Kurumu took off, it was just Moka and I, and we eventually said our goodbyes and went home for the evening. However, as the darkness of night crept over the landscape, the symbiote suddenly became excited while I prepared for a good night's rest. The excitement was conveyed to me along with the symbiote's newest plan:

We ourselves could search for this peeping tom.

I blinked and sat back on my bed, considering the idea. With the night still very young and the moon hidden behind clouds, I could move about undercover and try to find the peeping tom that was causing so much trouble. The black suit would also make me harder to spot. In all honesty, I wasn't against the idea. It'd be just like another patrol, almost identical to my nighttime activities in New York.

The only difference would be that I wasn't allowed to be spotted. I'd either tip off the pervert or get mistaken for him.

 _Yeah…we can find this guy, snap some pictures of him, and then follow him to his dorm. We can get shots of him transforming into his human form, and then we'll have evidence to prove he's guilty._

Smiling slightly to myself, I made my way over to the closet and retrieved my backpack. Undoing the zipper and reaching into the pocket, I dug out my camera—the same one I used when taking pictures for the Daily Bugle. After checking to make sure the device was in perfect working order, I shut off the light in my dorm and stepped up to the window, sliding it open as the black suit enveloped me. Placing the camera into a pocket that the symbiote quickly created for me, I crawled out of the window and onto the rooftop of the boys' dorm. The faint moonlight that pierced through the clouds illuminated the area just enough for me to actually see what I was doing, but not enough to clearly make out details.

Moving quickly, I made my way across the rooftop on all fours, eyeing the girls' dorm from my position and looking for signs of suspicious figures. Nothing popped up on the particular side I was looking at, and so I found myself circling around the girls' dorm in search of the peeping tom. Hopping from roof to tree, and back to roof, I made my way around campus, eyes glued to the girls' dorm as I circled around it. Frowning at the lack of action, I began wondering what location I should check next.

The girls' locker room felt like the best place to look at this point. While it was too late for most people to be there, it was still possible that there was someone who just happened to be dressing there.

With nothing to lose, I made my way down to the girls' locker room. It was a separate building from their dorm, used primarily for storing gym clothes, and it was closer to the field where some activities were held. I avoided well-lit areas and places where I thought I could be seen, and after a few minutes of silent movement, I was at my destination, and nobody had discovered me yet. A thorough check had revealed nothing—no dressing girls and no pervert in sight. I was running out of locations to look.

The pool.

I paused at the symbiote's suggestion.

 _Wait, at this hour? Who the heck would be there now?_

My partner couldn't answer that one, but it informed me that it was worth a try. The pool had its own dressing area for girls, after all. Shrugging, I retraced my steps back to a more familiar area and, from there, made my way over to the Swimming Club's original location. After a few minutes, the familiar fence came into view. Crawling to its base, I peeked into the pool area, but found nobody in the water. The dim lighting left me with very poor visibility, but even so, I could tell that nobody was in the pool itself.

That left the dressing area for the girls.

I quietly came to the building where the girls would undress and shower before and after swimming. Coming to the window, I straightened out until my ear was as close to the glass as possible. Hearing nothing, I peered over the edge, looking into the dark room. Again, nothing to report. Slightly frustrated, I began moving to the next window, which was slightly ajar, but froze when I heard someone speaking.

"H-hello?" said a distinctly female voice. "Is someone there?"

I ceased all movement as the words reached my ears. Had someone seen me? How was I going to escape this without being identified? And where was—?

My train of thought was interrupted by a short gasp. "Who's there?!" cried the voice again.

 _Hang on…this girl sounds like she's inside. She shouldn't be able to see me from where she is right now, and I'm not moving. So what's making her so jumpy if not me?_

I inhaled sharply as I realized just what might be frightening this girl.

Someone else—someone besides this female student and I—had come to the pool area. Moving slowly, I listened for the girl's voice. _My_ movements didn't set her off, and I could still hear her panting and shuffling around inside. After a few agonizingly long seconds, I opened the window enough to crawl through. The hinges were thankfully well-oiled, so it didn't make a sound as I pulled it upwards. I carefully moved inside, still listening to the girl move about as she presumably tried to collect her belongings and run for it.

I began moving slightly faster, if only to make sure that this student wasn't in any actual danger. This pervert hadn't hurt anybody yet, but I neither knew if this was actually the pervert or if his intentions were the same as the last few incidents that I had heard of.

It was when the girl screamed that I broke into an all-out sprint. Upon hearing her cry, I began running through the narrow corridors, barely avoiding obstacles in the dark interior as I moved. After rounding a corner, however, my spider-sense went wild, and while I tried to move, the lack of space didn't allow me to get away in time. Something solid and large collided with me, sending both of us to the ground. I grunted—as did the thing that hit me—and we both landed in a heap, with me ending up on the bottom while something heavy found its way on top of me.

Acting on impulse, my hand shot up, and before I could stop myself, my knuckles collided with something round. My eyes opened just in time to witness a creature roaring in pain as it bounced off me, something clattering to the ground as it did so. I shot up to my feet, just in time to catch a glimpse of a tall, dark shape as it backpedaled away from me and deeper into the shadows. A glowing yellow eye with a red iris at its center suddenly stared at me from the darkness, burning with anger, while the other eye seemed to be shut, if the lack of the yellow glow was anything to go by. The creature also looked to be covering that eye with its hand.

"Wait!" I hissed as the large student—as least, I assumed it was a student—backed up slightly. Before I could react, however, it bolted, dashing into the hallway.

 _Whoa, that thing is fast!_

The darkness made its movements almost impossible to track, but I could still tell that this thing was at least as fast as me—and _I_ was pretty fast. I pounced after it, dashing through the hallway after the creature. However, the second I got outside, I could no longer see or hear it. Part of me wanted to pursue the student, as did the symbiote, but I knew that I had to make sure that the girl was safe.

 _Rats…that thing is long gone now too._

I spun around on my heel, running back into the building. I could hear the girl running as her loud panting echoed through the halls, and, keeping out of sight, I followed the sound until I could see her. She was obviously terrified, but otherwise unhurt. I shadowed her for a little while to make sure she actually made it home safe, and after a minute or so, she ran into the girl's dorm, all without ever knowing that I was there.

Now that she was safe, I could finally head back to the pool area and search for whatever it was that I heard fall to the ground during the initial meeting. It didn't take long to find my way back to the building by the pool area. It only took slightly longer to navigate the halls and find the place where the creature and I had collided. Bending over, I retrieved an object that lied on the ground, almost entirely hidden by the room's lack of light. I picked it up and carried it to the window where a little moonlight pierced the darkness.

A camera.

I blinked upon realizing what I was holding. An old-fashioned camera. It was older than the one I used, and it didn't seem like something that someone would carry around when there was much faster, more portable technology available. Or did Yōkai just not make modern cameras available to its students? Regardless, I now had something that belonged to someone who was clearly up to something. Whether or not he was the pervert, I didn't know for sure yet, but all the evidence I had pointed to the individual I had hit being the peeping tom on campus.

Which meant that finding the owner of this camera should point me in the pervert's direction.

I smiled to myself as I wrapped the camera in webbing for protection. It was too large to comfortably put into one of the symbiote's pockets, so I'd have to carry it. With not much I could do for the remainder of the night, I carefully returned to my dorm, doubling back several times in the process to make sure nobody was following me. Eventually, I made it back to my room. I hid the camera I had found and returned my own to its place in my backpack. After making sure everything else was set for tomorrow, I fell into bed, the black suit fading and being replaced by comfortable nightwear.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of my alarm clock screaming in my ear. Shutting it off, I prepared to start the day. As my job entailed, I stopped by the girls' dorm to wait for Kurumu before school started. She met up with me fairly quickly, and not long after that, we had made it to our first class. Moka showed up not long after that, and I had quickly learned that her request had finally been granted. The vampire's schedule had finally been changed to match mine—a fact that I didn't realize until she pounced on me shortly after entering the classroom and proudly telling me. I was once more surprised by the amount of physical contact that the pink-haired girl seemed to crave.

The day itself passed by quickly. After finishing up the last class, the three of us headed to the Newspaper Club to continue our work with finding the peeping tom on campus.

Except now I had obtained something that could lead us right to him. I had yet to tell the girls or Ginei about last night's adventure, but I wasn't sure if that was the smartest move. If word somehow got out and that pervert figured out who had run into him, I'd become a prime target for him, and knowing some of the students at this school, he could be downright deadly for all I knew. He could also target the girls—or Ginei—if he who I was. However, I still considered telling them, seeing as, if Moka was near me, I could take off her rosary, and Kurumu wasn't helpless herself. I didn't know much about Ginei's abilities in combat, but he didn't seem like a weakling by any means.

When we got to the classroom where our club met, we found Ginei unpacking a box over a desk.

"Knock knock," I said casually while strolling into the room. Ginei slowly turned around, greeting us with a large smile, but I froze when I saw him. From behind me, I heard Moka gasp.

"Gin! What happened?!" she cried.

Ginei's left eye was darkened and slightly swollen. As though someone had _punched_ him.

"Oh, just a little accident," he said with a cheerful shrug.

Kurumu whistled. "What's the other guy look like?" she asked with a chuckle. I remained frozen as I recalled the creature that had gripped its left eye in pain last night. Ginei _couldn't_ possibly be the…

"It wasn't a fight," Ginei said with a wave of his hand. "It was just a stupid accident. Just me being clumsy and all. Trust me, I'm fine. Come on then, we've got work to do. Got to catch that pervert, remember?" With that, Ginei reached into the box, pulling out what looked to be a brand new…camera. One that looked like a new, fresh-off-the-shelf version of the one that I had found last night.

 _The president of the Newspaper Club is only now getting a camera? Or is it possible that…he's replacing a lost one?_

The symbiote was already on guard and prepared for the worst. At this point, Ginei had become our number one suspect in the search for the peeping tom.

 _And the posters from the other day…hanging them up so high would have stopped people from being able to see what's on them. Was Ginei trying to stop people from coming to the Newspaper Club with information? Was that his plan? Sabotage the club's attempt at exposing the pervert? At exposing HIM?_

It made sense. Ginei could have been trying to stop our attempts at exposing him from the inside out, and hanging up posters helped actually convince us that he wanted the peeping tom stopped, but hanging them up so high would have helped stall our attempts at finding the pervert.

This changed everything. Any idea of mentioning the camera I had obtained was banished from my mind, and I began trying to figure out when and how to warn the girls, and how to really figure out if Ginei was truly the pervert, or if there was something else going on. However, at this point, it seemed as though Ginei and this peeping tom were the same person.

Uneasily, I watched as Moka and Kurumu approached Ginei and started up a conversation.

Would he try something with them? Saizou Komiya had taken things too far when he wanted to make Moka his. Would Ginei follow in his footsteps? Were the girls in danger around him? I frowned, moving forward and making sure I was close to Kurumu and Moka in case Ginei tried anything. Whatever he may or may not have planned, I had to make sure I had the right guy first. If the camera I had was indeed his, I could have it returned to Ginei's dorm. That would show me where he lived, and it show me where I would have to look in order to find more evidence that proved he was the pervert. I'd need more than a camera if I wanted to expose him.

The club meeting went by at an agonizingly slow pace. Not a second went by that I wasn't keeping an eye on Ginei, and while he didn't do anything particularly perverted, it was obvious that he was giving Moka a lot of attention. If he was in fact the same person as the one I had run into yesterday, then he was much more subtle about his desires in human form than in his monster form—whatever that may have been.

When the club meeting finally did come to an end, however, Ginei surprised me by pulling me aside. "Hey, I need your help with something," he whispered while the girls made their way to the door.

I stiffened slightly, forcibly calming myself down to seem natural. What could Ginei have planned? "Um, can it wait?" I asked. "I've got plans."

While the hunt for Ginei's dorm couldn't begin just yet, there were still a few things I had to get done to prepare.

Ginei seemed a little disappointed at that. "Look, this'll only take a second," he said with his trademark smile. "I just need you to see something."

I hesitated. The preparations could technically wait, and it might do some good to follow Ginei around and get some information on him. The symbiote encouraged the idea of a little reconnaissance. "Fine, but Kurumu has to come along."

Ginei blinked and gave me a confused look. "What? Why?"

"I'm not allowed to leave her alone," I said with a wave of my hand. "The point is that where I go, Kurumu goes."

Ginei shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, well, you see, I sorta wanted to keep the girls out of it…"

Keep the girls out of it? What did this guy have planned?

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Well then, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Unless you can make room for at least Kurumu on this trip, you're going to have to do this alone."

Ginei sighed. "Alright, forget I asked. Good luck with whatever it was you had planned. See you guys tomorrow."

I watched Ginei in confusion as he began packing up. I was curious as to what he had planned, but he wouldn't do it with Kurumu around, and I couldn't leave her. I shook my head before running to catch up with the girls, who were still waiting for me just outside the door. "What was that about?" Moka asked as I approached.

"Oh nothing," I said. I noted that there wasn't much time left until the day was over. As long as Kurumu was up and about, I had to stick by her, which meant I couldn't search for—or search _through_ —Ginei's room. Until Kurumu turned in for the night, I'd have to wait.

Which was a little frustrating, given that both the symbiote and I were excited to start our mission.

The remainder of the day had, like the Newspaper Club meeting, gone far slower than I would have liked. But when evening finally did come, and Kurumu and Moka went home for the night, I was at last free to start my search. Heading up to my own dorm, I retrieved the camera I had found the night before, giving it a quick examination once again. I had already made a plan for getting the location of Gin's room, and if the camera was in fact his, all I had to do was get it returned, and it would lead me right to his room.

The only problem was that I had to convince the staff that _I_ should be the one to return it.

It was a good thing, then, that I had a teacher I knew was very lenient with her students: Miss Nekonome. But before I could start looking for Ginei, I had a little errand to run.

I hadn't forgotten all the comments made by Moka and Tamao on the way I smelled. If I did search through Ginei's room, I'd leave my scent all over the place, and if Ginei's nose could pick up on it, he'd be able to identify me based on that alone. And while he never actually commented on the way I smelled, I had assumed that most monsters were taught to avoid making remarks on another individual's scent. Moka and Tamao seemed to enjoy my particular smell, however, so they broke that rule.

I had been lucky last time; my meeting with the pervert had been short and quick, too fast for him to get a good whiff of me. That meant that I was still in the clear. And if Ginei _did_ know it was me, then he was good at hiding it.

Either way, something had to be done in order to avoid being revealed to Ginei too soon. Thankfully, the school actually provided me with its own solution. My original plan had been to get some air freshener or something of the sort and spray it all over Ginei's room—which would have clued him in that someone had broken in, but it would still cover my scent. However, the school had a far more effective method. I had recalled reading something about Yōkai Academy having scent cover available for students with a naturally unpleasant body odor, or for female students who had went through phases in which their bodies gave off a smell that was meant to attract mates. Given that they often didn't want the extra attention, Yōkai Academy provided them with a method to cover up the unwanted scents.

And that scent cover was _strong_. After several incidents in Yōkai's early years—which I had read up on by looking through some of the academy's history during my free time—the school had taken preventative measures to ensure that unwanted smells could be covered up. No doubt, this school's scent cover was magic-based, unlike its more chemical-based counterparts in the human world.

Grabbing the camera I had come across the previous night, as well as my own, I began my walk down to the main floor of the boys' dorm. I placed my camera in my pocket and threw the other one in a plastic bag that I hung from my arm before leaving the room, double, and then triple-checking my lock to make sure it was secure. It didn't take long to get downstairs, and when I did, I went straight to the booth that held the scent cover I needed.

Said booth had various items in stock. There were comic books, magazines, potions, and even a skull—though that was more of a 'decoration'. The booth was oddly unmanned, which was a fact that continued to confuse me. The school's method for avoiding a grand theft of all these items was a strange one; I had read that they had a surplus of these supplies, thus they were essentially worthless as far as stolen items went. That was probably the main reason why nobody just stole everything and forced other students to pay them for it—because the stolen supplies could be replaced effortlessly.

I found the scent cover after a few seconds of searching. It wasn't packaged like I had expected; it looked like a potion bottle. The instructions said to spray it on all over the body, and it would spread enough on its own. Again, probably a property that was achieved through magic. Slowly, I let the symbiote collect on my index finger, forming a protective covering of sorts. I sprayed a bit of the scent cover on my partner and we waited.

 _Well, how do you feel?_

The symbiote silently informed me that it was alright, and that the scent cover wasn't harming it in any way.

 _Alright then, here goes nothing._

I sprayed the substance on myself, making sure to get my chest, stomach, arms, and legs. For my back, I let the symbiote carry the bottle with a few tendrils and spray it on for me to ensure that it covered as much mass as possible. I looked down at myself, pocketing the scent cover for later use, if need be. I couldn't see any bad reactions from either the symbiote or my own skin, and a quick look in a mirror on the booth told me that my face looked normal too. Taking a breath, I turned and began walking to the school's main building.

It wasn't that late yet, and Miss Nekonome should still be in class, finishing up her work. The walk to her classroom didn't take too long, and I found the cat-eared teacher at her desk when I got there, grading a few papers while chewing on something that resembled a fish. She looked up as I entered.

"Ah, Mister Parker!" she said with a smile. "How nice to see you again! How may I help you?"

I smiled right back. "Hey there Miss Nekonome. I was wondering if you could point me to Ginei Morioka's room. I think I found his old camera in our club room, and I figured he'd want it back as soon as possible."

The teacher paused. "Meow? Oh, don't worry, I'll have it returned to him by tomorrow. Just place it on—"

"Actually," I interrupted as politely as I could. "I wanted to get this to him now. I figured that the camera has a good deal of personal value to Ginei, seeing as it's so worn out, and he looked pretty bummed out when he was opening his new camera in the club room today. I thought I'd get it to him tonight as a surprise of sorts."

Miss Nekonome hesitated. "Well…I guess that he might want it back as soon as possible. It's just a bit…unusual to be letting a student do the actually delivering."

I shrugged. "It's kinda late, and I didn't really want to bother anybody with this, so I thought I'd do it myself. I just didn't know where to go."

I felt a bit guilty for lying to Miss Nekonome, just like I always felt a pang of regret from lying to Aunt May about my double life, but I knew it was for a good cause. It was to protect the people of this school, and either prove that Ginei was guilty, or prove that he was innocent. It also helped that I was pretty used to bending the truth to keep those I cared for out of harm's way.

"Well…I suppose so," Miss Nekonome finally said. "Here, let me fetch the room number, and I'll get right back to you."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said with a slight bow. "I really appreciate this."

A few minutes later, Miss Nekonome presented me with a post-it that had the number of Ginei's room written down on it. "That's it," she said while handing me the piece of paper. "Make sure to get that camera back to him. If it's really that important to him, he'll probably want it back in one piece," she finished with a laugh.

I chortled quietly and gave the teacher a nod and a wave before heading out of the room, keeping an eye on the paper that would point me in the direction of Ginei Morioka. His room was several floors below mine—on the ground floor, actually—and it was in a completely different section of the boys' dorm, the section that was for the upperclassmen.

Getting to Gin's room took longer than expected, seeing as I had to hike through lots of hallways and lounge areas to get to his section of the boys' dorm. I finally did get to his section, noting the subtle differences between this area and the one I stayed in. The design was the same, but there were a few dissimilarities. I passed by a few people on my trip to Ginei's room, but I ignored them. I glanced at the post-it that Miss Nekonome had given me once more, double-checking the number.

"Room zero-eight-one," I muttered to myself as I walked through the dimly lit hall. My plan, at the moment, was to make contact with Ginei, and present him with the camera. I had a convincing story as to why I had it—one that should steer Ginei away from thinking I was the one who attacked him. And if Ginei confirmed my beliefs, and claimed the camera as his own, I'd know that he was the pervert.

And then I could start making plans to pin him with evidence. Evidence that I planned on locating in his room.

I smiled as I found Ginei's dorm, close to the middle of the hallway. Nobody else was in the hall, seeing as everyone who was still socializing was in the lounge areas. Granted, however, there were only a few people out there by now. The rest had gone to bed. Which meant that I might be waking Ginei up by coming to him at this hour.

Or perhaps he was a night owl, if last night's meeting was anything to go by.

I walked up to the brown door, sucking in a breath as I looked at the number printed on it, along with a small sign that had the name of the room's owner on it. Room zero-eight-one. The room of Ginei Morioka, my prime suspect in the hunt for the peeping tom.

"Alright then, let's do this," I muttered as I gently rapped my knuckles against the wooden door.

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Canon Deviation:** _Again, I'm leaning away from the original storyline a bit, seeing as Peter's job as Kurumu's guardian, and his personality/intelligence wouldn't give Ginei the chance to pull the same stunts as he did in canon. Don't worry, this arc shouldn't take nearly as long as Kurumu's (mostly because Ginei's actions can be far more easy to explain and rectify than Kurumu's, and because his entry didn't feel as shallow as Kurumu's canon one to me). I also won't be making as many drastic changes to Gin's plan as I did with Kurumu because I don't really see a need to. I've already created a more unique situation for Peter in relation to Ginei's plan, and there is no need for changes to his motives themselves. Basically, I can change up the storyline without stepping away from the original plot too much with Ginei._

 **Scent Cover:** _I remembered seeing something like this in some of the hunting games I played on my ps2 when I was younger. My original plan was to actually have Peter use air freshener or cologne as a way to mask his scent (which I then disguised as Peter's original idea), but then realized that having scent cover in the school wasn't such a bad idea. Since some of the students are species with animal-like characteristics, I figured that some of their more primitive abilities/tendencies would cause problems. Scent could be one of them, so the idea of a scent cover was born._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved in this story._

 **Remzal Von Enili:** _I don't know how much Peter's powers will grow/evolve throughout the story, but I can tell you that I don't plan on having the symbiote collect monster powers. That would make Peter too strong. And he's using biological web-shooters (meaning that he's using the symbiote)._

 **Smthcrmnl1:** _Thank you, I hope to finish it as well. The motivation and ideas are still there, so let's hope they don't run out._

 **Guest:** _Your review is almost identical to that of Smthcrmnl1's, so I'm going to assume that this was a glitch and his review got posted as a Guest's. Correct me if I'm wrong and if you're actually a different person._

 **Pyromania101:** _Don't worry, no bashing is being planned. Peter was definitely suspicious, but after Kurumu, he knows things aren't always as they seem, and he doesn't want to potentially alienate anybody by antagonizing someone or just coming off as a jerk. He wanted to get a better handle of the situation first._

 **theallaroundnerd:** _I don't think so. Sorry :/_

 **Arachnophile801:** _Fair enough. Anyway, I'm glad that my approach is well-received, seeing as that plays a huge part in a story's success. I've already met manga Kuyo, by the way (currently on Ruby's arc), and Tsukune has already gotten some vampire powers, but I haven't met that last character. Yeah, Ginei—as well as a lot of the characters from the Rosario + Vampire universe—are, by the standards of a normal person, quite kooky and strange. Though, I am confused on something: what did you mean by Ginei being the butt of the series' joke? And don't worry; I know that a werewolf is outrageously fast and how that speed is proportional to how visible the moon is, the anime made a point to show the audience. Whether or not Gin knows what Peter did won't be explained here, so you just have to read to find out. You're right about the acting part too—at least, when he's not under pressure, as the anime has portrayed (he messed up his story when Kurumu and Yukari called him out on his accusations of Tsukune). Before I let you loose to read the chapter, however, I have a question: when you post reviews, are you actually logging in, or using the guest feature and naming yourself Arachnophile801?_

 **Thresher26:** _Oh, sorry about that! Didn't realize we had a lady in the review section :P But yeah, symbiotes apparently like chocolate, but not this one; that would make things a bit confusing for people who didn't know the whole 'brain-eating' Venom thing._

 **SpartanWarrior1:** _Huh, that is interesting. I wasn't aware of that, so thanks for sharing._

 **Overlord Marche:** _Thank you!_

 **Laxard:** _Yeah, they would have made things easier._

 **GeassDragon:** _Sorry, but it's the most comfortable method for me. PMs don't work for some of the reviewers, and I've had issues with them in the past._

 **Ass Kissing Fan:** _I read your name, and honestly wondered whether or not your review would be a trollish one. Oh well, for the sake of my self-esteem and confidence, I'm going to assume that you were sincere. With that in mind, I'm very glad that my work is so entertaining, and that the decisions I've made so far have been well-received, and thank you for all the compliments. As for Keito…I honestly don't know. It's a very unique idea, and it would definitely bring something new to the story, but she was given very little screen time in the anime, and so far in the manga, I've only seen her appear during the Public Safety Committee arc. Not much about her personality is known to be honest, and writing her in would be difficult. Bottom line: we'll see, but not concrete answer as of yet._

 **tdychko:** _It's an odd plan, I know, but unorthodox situations sometimes require unorthodox plans. But don't worry, it changes in the first, like, ten sentences of this chapter. Peter isn't technically a monster because the symbiote is bonded to him, not fused with him. It doesn't feel right to say he's half alien now. And you're welcome :)_

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thank you._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _That's an interesting quote, but I don't think I can use that exact one. I think I might use the Scooby Doo part though. As for Peter's suit, I answered that question for you last chapter (but I love the Anti-Venom suit too), so if you need a refresher, check there. Thank you for all your suggestions though._

 **A/N:** _Just thought I'd mention that I went back to Chapter 1 and rewrote the explanation for Peter's behavior. I did this because this Peter Parker is actually a lot more similar to the "default" Spider-Man than I had originally thought. In order to avoid leading people into thinking that this was going to be an OOC Peter, I redid the explanation for his behavior, updating it with more relevant information._

 **-Chapter 11: The Vampire and the Wolf-**

I gently rapped my knuckles against the door to Ginei's room, waiting patiently for a reply.

None came.

I tried again, knocking louder and waiting for several seconds.

Still no answer came.

I knocked for the third time.

The door stayed shut.

 _Where could he be?_

I frowned at the lack of a response from Ginei. If he wasn't here, I couldn't confirm my suspicions face-to-face. I looked around, wondering how I should proceed. I could leave, I could wait, I could—

Break in.

I tensed at the symbiote's suggestion.

 _We haven't planned this out yet. We don't know if Ginei will be back any time soon, or if he's just a heavy sleeper that doesn't answer the door. I wasn't expecting to be breaking in this early in the night._

The symbiote retaliated with logic that Ginei could be out photographing girls in their sleep or looking for his camera in the girls' showers by the pool. It knew that we had an opportunity here.

I shifted from foot to foot. I had planned on breaking into Ginei's room _after_ confirming _for a fact_ that he was indeed the pervert, but with all the evidence stacked against him so far, it was hard to imagine the peeping tom being anyone else. If I couldn't confirm my suspicions my way, I could always just find the evidence in his room. There had to be some.

We've alerted him, the symbiote seemed to say.

And it was right. We _had_ probably spooked Ginei by running into him, and if he was out trying to find his camera, this might be the last chance I had of getting into his room. He might decide to stay low for a few weeks after he fails to find that camera. Among his belongings, there had to be _something_ that could be used against him. He could always claim that the camera was stolen by someone and used without his permission, but if I found something in his room, that, coupled with the fact that the camera could be his, would make worming his way out of it all the more difficult, nearly impossible even.

Plus, I had already prepared for the actual break in. I just hadn't planned on doing it _now_ , but the opportunity _was_ presenting itself…

 _Alright, let's do this. But we have to make sure he's not home._

I glanced around again, searching for any signs of onlookers. Finding none, I hung my head slightly lower, hiding my face as I leaned in. A small black tendril extended from the bottom of my pant leg and reached under the door, moving into the room. While the symbiote often deliberately avoided showing me what it saw to avoid overloading my mind with images from both its sight and my own, it would occasionally tell me what it could see—which was how it sometimes warned me of a danger that it could see before the spider-sense detected it, such as an enemy crouching and waiting to pounce.

Of course, the symbiote also avoided processing every image that I saw in order to avoid overloading its own mind, even though it was far more resilient that I was to that kind of thing.

With the tendril moving into the room, the symbiote began using it like a camera, peering into Ginei's dorm and searching for the student in question. As I expected, the symbiote informed me of what it saw through thoughts that explained the images, rather than sending me the images themselves.

Empty. Ginei wasn't in the room.

I swallowed in preparation.

 _Alright, we need to get that lock open. Symbiote?_

The alien already knew what to do, based on my thoughts. The tendril slowly extended and began fiddling around with the lock. The school's locks weren't very complex, able to be opened from inside a room with a simple twist of the knob that would turn when a key was inserted and used. It was identical to a normal door lock you'd find on a door leading into a house, and it was probably designed to make the job of opening the door easy. However, the locks probably weren't designed to be symbiote-proof. I heard a soft click as the symbiote turned the knob, unlocking the door.

The symbiote covered my hands like a pair of gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints as I twisted the knob and I gave it a gentle push, leaning into the door as it opened inwards. I stepped into the dark room, shutting the door behind me. The only source of light was what came through the closed window, which made seeing a bit difficult. Nevertheless, I resolved to find evidence that could be used against Ginei in conjunction with the camera. I shut the door behind me, making sure to lock it in the process.

With the door securely shut and looking like it was never touched, I turned around and took a good look at the room. It was small, just like mine, and there wasn't that much space to hide things. I quickly had the symbiote form its black mask over my head, but avoided putting on the entire black suit. If someone walked in on me, I didn't need them recognizing my face _or_ my "monster form". The 'mask' and 'gloves' were all I needed.

 _Alright, Ginei had a camera back at the showers. He probably takes pictures of girls while they're dressing, so he should have a stash of photos somewhere._

That would be my primary objective here. Find those photos—if they were in the room, of course. After setting the plastic bag with the camera down on the floor, I walked over to the desk, sliding open the drawers as I began looking through them. I found papers, pencils, a few other average items, but no pictures. Moving on, I walked over to his closed, opening the doors. He had a lot more clothing than I did, and I sighed as I realized that I might have to look through the pockets.

 _No, pockets will come later. It'll take too long and there's too much to put back. Gotta check other places first—places that I can search through faster._

I looked above and below the clothes hanging off the hangers, and, finding nothing, quietly shut the closet. I turned to face the room again, putting my hands on my hips as I frowned. Under the bed would be the next place I would check. Walking over to the unmade bed, I got on all fours and peered underneath it. There were several cardboard boxes, probably personal belongings of Ginei. I reached forwards and pulled a box out. With no tape to stop me, I opened it, only to find a few books, some batteries, a few photos of things around the school, but no perverted photos. Shutting the box, I pushed it back into its position and grabbed the next one.

The second had been taped shut, and with nothing to securely reseal it with, I decided to put the box to the side. Ginei probably wanted easy access to whatever photos he took, so taping their container shut seemed to be a bit much. Opening the third box, I found several folders, most of them filled with worksheets and the like, with a few empty folders alongside them. I shook my head and put the folders back in, closing the box over them before reaching for the fourth box. It was just out of grasp, so I resorted to firing a short web line into it and pulling it out.

When I opened it, I almost groaned. There were several magazines there, each with an attractive woman on the cover, all of them being in various revealing outfits.

 _Of course. If he's a pervert, it makes sense that he'd have dirty magazines._

I set them to the side before pulling out another pair, both of them following the same theme as the previous few, and put them on the ground as well. After a few seconds, I had emptied the box, and a small pile of dirty magazines sat at my side.

I sighed quietly. I was hoping that this would be the box, but it seemed as though that wasn't the case.

The magazines.

I blinked, turning to the object in question as the symbiote told me to give them a shake. I picked up on what it meant quickly, and grabbed one of the magazines. Turning it upside down, I began thumbing through the pages.

Nothing.

Putting the magazine back in the box, I moved onto the next one, repeating the process. Again, nothing.

I threw the magazine back in the box before grabbing a third. As I turned it upside down, I paused as several slips of paper fell from the book. Leaning forward, I picked one up, turning it over and holding it up in the moonlight.

A picture of several female students undressing.

 _Bingo…_

I grabbed the other pictures, checking them to make sure that they were all applicable evidence. However, I paused when I noticed a familiar head of pink hair in one of the photos: Moka. I frowned at the thought of my friend being photographed while dressing, but I ignored the frustration. Putting the pictures back in the magazine, I placed it alongside the others in the box before grabbing another one off the floor, turning it upside down. More pictures fell to the floor, but what caught my eye was something else.

Moka was in _all_ of them. Ginei had taken a special interest in her.

 _Great, first Saizou and now Ginei? Does Moka ever get a break from all this?_

I shook my head and placed the photos back into the magazine before grabbing it, along with the remainder of the magazines, and putting them back in the box. I had what I needed. The camera, the photos, the emphasis on Moka in the pictures, and Ginei's obvious attraction to her; it all added up.

I put all the boxes back under Ginei's bed before standing up and dusting myself off. I gave the room a quick check to make sure everything was in place, and once satisfied, I grabbed the plastic bag that held the camera I had found in the girls' showers. There was no point in giving Ginei the camera now—the purpose was to help confirm my suspicions, and I had already more or less done that. And I had no clue when Ginei would return, but I still needed sleep. Last night was spent hunting for the pervert, and I couldn't go through another night of poor rest and expect to remain in good shape. I needed to get home tonight and actually sleep.

I made my way over to the window. Seeing as this was the ground floor, it was locked. I frowned when I realized that there was no way to close it after I was out, so it'd be a clue for Ginei if he was observant enough. I knew that I would inevitably leave some form of evidence behind after leaving, but I had managed to keep it to a minimal.

I paused as I considered searching for just a little while longer and trying to find something that I could immediately use to expose Ginei, but decided against it. Every second I spent here was a risk, and I needed to get out while I had the chance. Unlocking the window, I slid it open and looked out, making sure that nobody was watching. With nobody around, I slipped out, gently shutting the window behind me and moving through the bushes as I left the scene.

Getting to my dorm was a piece of cake. I made sure to check if anybody was following me, and when I was positive nobody was shadowing me, I slipped into my room. Both my camera and Ginei's were returned to their positions, and I went to bed that night feeling as though I was a step closer to actually bringing the peeping tom down.

I woke up the next morning and went through my usual routine. The big difference was the thoughts that were going through my head. I knew that I had to tell the girls about my findings, seeing as I was now far surer of Ginei's connection with the peeping tom. And even if I was somehow wrong and Ginei was innocent, I still had reason to warn Moka; Ginei had expressed great interest in her, and was in possession of several photos of her while she dressed. That alone was enough for Moka to be wary of the older student.

When I got to the girls' dorm after heading outside, I only had to wait for a few minutes before Kurumu came strolling out, giving me a wide grin and a wave as she walked over. "Kurumu," I said seriously when she drew near. "You're going to be free during lunch, right?"

Kurumu gave me a blank stare. "Peter, I can't go anywhere without you. What on Earth would I have planned?"

"I'm just checking," I replied quickly. "You could have planned on asking me to come along on an errand or whatever. But that's not the point; the point is that I need to talk to you and Moka at lunch. It's important."

The succubus raised an eyebrow as we began to walk. "About what?"

"Something serious," I answered. I didn't want to spook her so early, or else it might make the rest of the morning difficult for her. I needed her to know that I needed her and Moka at lunch, but I didn't need her panicking over the information on Ginei that I was planning on giving them this soon. The girls would no doubt be shocked after lunch, but until then, I didn't need to ruin their concentration on school so soon with the news.

"Okay…" said the blue-haired girl while glancing about unsurely. "Peter, are you alright? Did something happen?"

"Possibly," I mumbled. "Come on, we're already running a bit late for class. I'll tell Moka that I need her present at lunch when I see her."

The walk to class was silent, with only the occasional word or two being exchanged between Kurumu and me. We managed to get to Miss Nekonome's classroom before the actual lessons began, and it wasn't long before Moka showed up too. As characteristic of her, she grabbed me in a bear hug while greeting me.

"Hiya Peter!" she chirped, oblivious to my attempts at removing her arms from around my neck.

"Moka, please," I began while peeling her off. "I need to talk, and I can't comfortably do that with your shoulder in my face."

"Oh, sorry!" exclaimed the vampire as she backed off, but her sheepish grin was ever-present. "What did you need to talk about?"

"At lunch," I said quietly. "I need to talk to you and Kurumu at lunch about something important. Just make sure you're free by then."

A look of concern passed over Moka's face as she looked at me. "Is everything alright?"

"Just wait until lunch," I said while glancing around to make certain nobody was listening in.

"He gave me just as vague of a response too, just so you know," Kurumu mumbled while nudging Moka with her elbow. "Just go with it."

"I, um, okay?" Moka said unsurely, just as Miss Nekonome stood up in front of the class.

"Alright everybody, take your seats and let's get started," she announced before grabbing the materials she needed to start the lesson. As though following a pattern, class went by slower than I would have liked, as did those that followed. Eventually, however, lunch finally arrived, and Kurumu and I found ourselves outside, waiting by the vending machine while Moka was finishing up with grabbing her lunch.

The two of us sat at a bench, silently eating our meals. Moka eventually came out, stopping only to grab a tomato juice from the vending machine before taking a seat. "So," she began before taking a bite of her food. "What did you need to talk about, Peter?"

I did a quick check of our surroundings, making sure that nobody was around us. Most students started off their lunch in the cafeteria, which gave us a few minutes before groups of students would begin coming outside.

I leaned forward, beckoning for Moka and Kurumu to do the same. "It's about that peeping tom," I whispered. "I'm pretty sure I know who it is."

Moka and Kurumu stared at me wide-eyed. Finally, the succubus spoke. "Peter! That's…that's _awesome_! We can expose this guy if we know who he is! How'd you find out? Where did you find out from? And who is the peeper?"

"It's _Ginei_ ," I whispered. "Ginei Morioka is the peeping tom."

The girls froze, each looking at me in disbelief and shock. "E-excuse me?" Moka said slowly. " _Ginei_? Did you say _Ginei_?" I nodded, to which Moka responded to by blinking repeatedly before her mouth opened and closed several times. "I-I—you— _what_?!"

"Shhh!" I hissed. "Don't draw attention! I don't want this getting out yet!"

"Peter, are you insane?" Kurumu asked from her position. "Ginei of all people? The guy who brought us flowers? _Seriously_?!"

"I have evidence," I said hurriedly. "I have proof of who Ginei really is. This isn't just a hunch."

"What proof?" Moka asked uneasily.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Look, after finding out that there was a peeping tom on campus, I went out one night and tried to see if I could find him. I wanted to get a good description of him and get some pictures of him in both monster and human form. That way, it'd be easier to find and expose him."

"You snuck out?" Moka asked. I nodded.

"The peeping tom was too fast for anybody to describe, so just sitting around and waiting for someone to do something would've gotten us nowhere," I said with a shrug. "So I decided to take action."

"And?" asked Kurumu, motioning for me to continue.

"And I found the pervert," I said. "Ran right into him, actually. He probably didn't expect anybody to be out at that hour actively looking for him. I think he got a little too comfy and stopped worrying about running into someone who was actually trying to find him at night. Anyway, I ended up punching his eye as a reflex after he knocked me to the ground, and he took off. You were right, by the way, Kurumu; that guy _is_ fast. Really fast. It was nearly impossible to see him in the dark when he was moving like that. But he left something behind: a camera. I brought it to my room as evidence, and then I planned on telling you guys during the club meet that was coming up the next day."

I stopped for a short breath.

"But then I saw Ginei that day," I continued. Moka's eyes widened in realization.

"Ginei had a black eye," she whispered.

"And he was getting a new camera," I added. "One that looked like a newer version of the one the pervert dropped. I think he was replacing his old camera."

I could see Kurumu's hand slowly come up to cover her mouth as understanding dawned on her face. "Oh my gosh," she whispered.

Moka, meanwhile, shook her head in disbelief. "And with what the other Moka said…"

Kurumu and I blinked in confusion. "The other Moka?" asked the succubus. Moka nodded.

"Yes," she began while gripping her rosary. "My other half said that she sensed that Ginei had some sort of strong power, and that he was hiding something. She said that Ginei seemed…dangerous. She told me yesterday evening…"

"Well, looks like she was on to something," I muttered. "Did she mention anything else?"

The vampire shook her head. "No, nothing," she said quietly before looking up to me. "Is that all we have to work with right now? Or did you find something else?"

I hesitated. "That's not all," I said before pausing as a student walked by an uncomfortably short distance from us. Once he left, I continued. "Ginei is in possession of a lot of dirty pictures—many of them being of _you_ , Moka."

The pink-haired girl's cheeks flushed as she reeled back. "He's got pictures of _me_?!" she shouted before clamping her hands over her mouth. "Sorry," she said in a much quieter voice before continuing. "But, does he seriously have pictures of me…you know… _undressing_?"

"He does," I confirmed. "I think he's been stalking you—or at least, he's very interested in you."

Suddenly, a faint red glow emitted from Moka's rosary, almost making me jump in surprise.

" _ **Tch! Unacceptable,"**_ growled the inner Moka. _**"I may not be in control, but it's still my body! I will not allow some peeping tom to view me in an undressed state!"**_

"Ugh," groaned Kurumu. "Why are all the guys in this school such perverts?! After I'm allowed to go free, how am I supposed to find my Destined One in this kind of crowd?!"

" _ **Your Destined One problems can wait,"**_ said the inner Moka. _**"We must put a stop to this fool's perverted habits. I refuse to allow him to drool over a picture of my naked body!"**_

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think he's got any pictures of you naked," I muttered.

" _ **Oh, so you looked at them too?"**_

I jerked back, sputtering as I waved my hands out in front of me in a defensive gesture. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't get me wrong, I saw the pictures, but I didn't spend time looking at them! I wouldn't do something like that to you guys!"

There was a moment of silence before Kurumu spoke. "Peter," she began. "How exactly did you know about Gin's photos?"

Oh, this was going to be awkward.

"I, uh, I…" I started before checking to make sure nobody was close enough to be listening in. "I may have…broken into his dorm…"

The girls stared at me, both of them absolutely gobsmacked.

"You _wha—?_!" Moka screamed, only to have my hand firmly clap around her mouth, silencing her.

"Shhh!" I hissed.

"You broke into his room?!" Kurumu whisper-screamed at me. "Peter, are you serious?!"

"None of his belongings were damaged or stolen," I said while removing my hand from a still-shocked Moka. "I just looked through some of his stuff to find evidence. I found the photos, and I already suspected him of being the owner of the camera the peeping tom had dropped."

The awkward silence that followed was interrupted by the last thing I expected to hear: laughter. From the rosary.

" _ **My my, I never suspected you of something so sly, Peter,"**_ said the inner Moka after a short burst of chuckling. _**"Fitting that a pervert who invades privacy has his own privacy invaded."**_

The girls and I just stared at the rosary. The symbiote, at least, found the silver-haired Moka's reaction humorous.

I sighed. "Look guys," I began. "I want to make this clear: I'm not some sort of criminal. I did it because I wanted to find evidence that would help prove my theory on Ginei and help stop him. I couldn't go accusing him of anything without proof, and what I had at that point was very compelling, but it wasn't concrete, and he has the right to be innocent until proven guilty."

" _ **And have you proven him guilty?"**_

"I'm almost certain," I replied with a nod. "I'm almost certain that Ginei is the peeping tom."

The outer Moka sat back, taking a loud breath to calm herself. "This is crazy," she said. "Break-ins, club presidents who peep on girls; what are we supposed to do? If Gin's the peeping tom, we need to do _something_!"

"We _are_ going to do something," I said firmly.

"Oh? And whose room are we sneaking into this time?" Kurumu asked sarcastically.

I groaned. "It was the _one time_! I don't usually face problems that require breaking and entering!"

" _ **Usually? Oh, good to know you only occasionally break into homes,"**_ said the inner Moka. I sighed when I realized she was getting a kick out of this.

"But seriously, what do we do now?" asked Kurumu. "We've got to follow up on this, don't we?"

"Yes, but how?" Moka inquired.

That was a good question. "I think we should find a way to get Ginei caught red-handed—make sure the whole school knows who he is and what he does." I paused as an idea hit me. "Or…we could have Kurumu draw the truth out of him."

The succubus reeled back in surprise. "Me?"

"Of course," I explained. "You're a succubus; getting the truth out of someone with your charm is what you do when looking for your Destined One, right? Why not get Ginei to confess?"

Kurumu gave me a blank stare. "Peter, my charming powers were nullified before you became my guardian."

I blinked. "What?"

"My powers," Kurumu repeated slowly. "My ability to charm—it was intentionally weakened to the point that I couldn't control anyone. I'm supposed to have my abilities back once I've proven that I'm not a danger to anybody. I thought you knew…"

I groaned. "Crap, that would have made this a lot easier," I muttered. "Oh well, I guess it's back to Plan A."

" _ **Actually, there's a faster way than 'Plan A',"**_ said the voice of the inner Moka. _**"We could confront Ginei and call him out on his actions. If we show that we know the truth, he'll probably try to fight us in an attempt to silence us. I can sense his power—he'll definitely use it."**_

I frowned, mentally going over the idea. "We don't know anything about Ginei's monster form," I finally said. "All we know is that it's fast and kinda large. Plus, we don't know for certain if Ginei will actually give in and admit that we're right. He might try to deny it to the end."

The inner Moka chuckled. _**"If you were to let me out, I'm sure I can…convince him that telling the truth will be a lot easier for everyone. If I were to teach him his place, I bet he'd be a lot more willing to cooperate. Plus, the peeping tom deserves to find out what happens when you invade the privacy of an S-Class monster and take pictures of her while she dresses."**_

"I…think it's worth a try," Kurumu commented. "It'd be faster—heck, we could finish this _today_ —and it could stop this pervert before he can take any more pictures of unsuspecting girls."

I shifted uncomfortably. "But what if the teachers ask how we got the evidence? I can't go up and say 'I just broke into his room'."

" _ **You're overthinking this, Peter,"**_ said the inner Moka. _**"My other half told me how the teachers reacted to Saizou; they won't look too deeply into this type of issue either. Kurumu was an exception—her case was for more complicated and involved influences from outside of Yōkai Academy—but this is a simple case of a pervert being caught and exposed. Plus, the teachers already trust you, so your word alone will go a long way with them."**_

"She's right," said the outer Moka. "The teachers _do_ trust you. They made you Kurumu's guardian, after all."

I leaned back, crossing my arms. This method was riskier, but it was definitely faster than cooking up an elaborate plan to get Ginei caught. And judging by how fast he had moved the other night, getting a picture of him or following him around in the dark would be next to impossible. Plus, it would save a lot of girls from being spied on while undressing.

" _ **Think of it this way,"**_ began Moka's other half. _**"You'll be trusting OUR judgment on this one. We've trusted you in the past, Peter, so now it's your turn to trust us."**_

I sighed in defeat. "Alright, we'll try it your way. Where and when do we set this up?"

After a few minutes, we had a plan going. We would call Ginei up to the rooftop tonight, and confront him when he got there. Much to my discomfort, the inner Moka suggested having her outer counterpart do the luring. I objected, but was ultimately defeated. The outer Moka was Ginei's object of interest, and if she told him to meet her on the rooftop in the evening, the chance of him agreeing was much higher than if I tried, and while Kurumu could also succeed, she couldn't actually go anywhere without me, and my presence would throw the whole guise off.

In the end, Moka had agreed, and while she was definitely nervous, that fear was overcome by determination and the desire to help. The plan, then, was to have her confront Ginei after our club meet and tell him to meet her at the rooftop at nine o'clock in the evening. Kurumu and I would already be there with his camera.

And while I had wanted to bring Ginei to the woods to ensure the other students' safety in case he went wild, it became clear that he would more likely agree to meet up if a pretty girl asked him to meet her on a rooftop than if somebody suddenly called him to the forest without any real explanation. The rooftop was also the next safest place that we had easy access to. There weren't any people up there in the evening—or during the majority of the day, for that matter.

When the club meet finally rolled around, the girls and I were _all_ careful around Ginei. While he didn't do anything that I could identify as out of the ordinary, he still gave us reason for concern. As a club, we spent our time going over what we knew about the peeping tom and questioning a series of students around campus. We got almost no new information, and when the meeting finally ended, Kurumu and I had to leave while Moka stayed behind to try and convince Ginei to come to the rooftop.

And it was by the vending machine that Kurumu and I stood, nervously waiting for Moka to return. Kurumu sipped a soft drink that she had bought, and I tapped my foot against the ground while leaning against a pillar. Several minutes passed before Kurumu spoke up.

"Hey, uh, Peter?" she began. "Out of curiosity, what's your relationship to Moka? I just don't get it."

I blinked, turning to her and tilting my head to the side. "What's there not to get? We're friends."

Kurumu snorted. "Friends? Seriously? She throws her arms around you every time she sees you, and she follows you around wherever you go. And did you see how annoyed she got when you first became my guardian? I think she was jealous."

I rolled my eyes as I recalled Moka's strange behavior from the time. "I remember," I muttered. "Wasn't that long ago."

Kurumu giggled. "So…are you guys really _just_ friends? I mean, given the way she treats you, I thought you two were dating."

"Oh no, nothing like that," I said while keeping my gaze locked on the ground. "Moka sorta…she didn't really have it easy in the human world. According to her, I was her first friend. I think she's just showing me so much affection because she never had any friends to show it to before. Give it some time, I'm sure she'll stop clinging to me once she's comfortable around other people."

It didn't occur to me until _after_ I spoke that Moka might not have been comfortable disclosing that information to other people. Oh well, she didn't hesitate when she told me, and it wasn't like I could take it back now anyway.

"Must be hard to get comfortable around students at this school," Kurumu muttered dryly. "Not like this is the second pervert to express interest in her or anything."

I chuckled quietly. "Poor thing."

Another minute or so passed before Moka came outside, waving at us as she approached. "Well?" I asked hopefully. "Is Ginei coming tonight?"

Moka nodded. "I convinced him." She paused and shuffled awkwardly. "I feel kinda bad now though. I don't like misleading people. "

I sighed. "If he's our guy, he needs to be stopped. What he's doing is wrong, and it's only a matter of time before somebody gets hurt. His luck will run out eventually, and he'll end up peeping on a girl that won't hesitate to seriously hurt him if she can get her hands on him. We're doing everybody a favor here."

Kurumu nodded. "That's right. Ginei's violating the privacy of a lot of people with what he's doing, and we can't just sit back and watch him do this. Somebody's got to stand up to this!"

"I know, I know, it's just…it doesn't feel very good," Moka said while rubbing her shoulder. "Anyway, I told Ginei exactly what the other Moka said I should—that I needed to see him tonight—and he said he'll come."

I smiled at her. "Good work, I'm glad it went well. Now then, all we have to do now is wait. We should all head up there early though, just to make sure we get there before Ginei can."

The girls both nodded. The remainder of our time was spent discussing various topics, such as Ginei's possible true form, details on what to do in case Gin decided to fight us, and other subjects regarding tonight's planned meeting. If Ginei attacked, the plan was to let the inner Moka out for her to personally handle him. While the symbiote strongly disapproved of the idea, due entirely to its personal desire to fight, it had begrudgingly agreed to allow inner Moka to take center stage for the battle—not that anybody knew of the symbiote, of course.

The silver-haired vampire had been rather expressive and assertive in her desire to 'put Ginei in his place', and I could understand why. The body she and the outer Moka used was technically the same one, so to have the outer Moka photographed while dressing was the same as having the inner Moka photographed while dressing.

And so we waited, and talked, and discussed, and waited some more. Finally, the time for us to actually head up to the rooftop came. When we got there, it was empty as expected. The whole area was bathed in the light of a bright red moon, which was apparently normal here at Yōkai Academy.

"Never going to get used to that," I muttered as I looked up at the pink-red orb in the sky. "What's wrong with a normal silver moon? Why'd we need this?"

"I think it's nice," Moka commented from my left. She was stationed in plain sight so that Ginei would see her the moment he got here. Kurumu and I, meanwhile, hid behind the small, cubical structure through which the door to the lower floors led. We didn't want Ginei to see us from the door or something; otherwise, he might realize something was wrong and leave before we could confront him. Here, however, we were in position to intervene at a moment's notice, without Ginei actually seeing us until it was too late.

I sat down, pressing my back against the cold stone wall as I laid the camera the peeping tom had dropped next to me. Kurumu, meanwhile, gave Moka a big wave. "Alright Moka, if spit hits the pan, just call us!" said the succubus before she crawled next to me, leaning against the wall. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Spit hits the pan?" I parroted, smirking at the mix up of words.

Kurumu just blinked. "What? Did I say it wrong?"

"Yup."

"Then how does it go?"

"That doesn't matter," I said with a wave of my hand. "Just stay low and wait for Ginei." Kurumu looked at me for a few more seconds before shrugging and glancing up at the sky. We waited for several minutes before finally, we heard the door to the rooftop open.

"Oh, h-hi Ginei," Moka said nervously, but intentionally loudly so that we would hear.

"Hey Moka," said Ginei in his usual cheerful manner. "Well, here I am."

"Here you are…" I heard Moka reply awkwardly.

 _Alright then, he's here…guess it's show time._

I looked at Kurumu, and we both nodded before stepping out from behind the structure we were hidden behind. I saw that Ginei was standing a few feet in front of Moka, his back to us while he gave the vampire his full attention. Said vampire, however, looked over his shoulder at us, which prompted the older student to do the same. His eyes widened when he saw us.

"Peter? Kurumu?" he asked before looking between us and Moka. "What are you guys doing up here? What is all this?"

I crossed my arms, my fingers still enclosed around the camera. "We decided that, as a club, we needed to talk. All of us."

Ginei's eyes narrowed. "And why did nobody bother telling me this?"

I sighed, and lifted the camera for all to see, completely ignoring Ginei's question. "Ginei, do you recognize this?" I asked while moving closer to give him a better view. The older student's eyes widened momentarily, a sign of potentially being caught off guard.

"Uh, no, I haven't," he said. "Why?"

"That camera was found in the girls' showers," Kurumu said matter-of-factly. "And it looks a lot like your new one, but a lot more used."

Ginei gave a short chuckle, but the symbiote silently informed me that it thought Gin seemed a bit nervous. "And?" Ginei asked. "Why was all this necessary if you were just going to tell me that?"

"Simple," I said while leaning forwards. "Because we know you're the peeping tom on campus."

Gin's eye widened, and I could see sweat on his brow. "What are you talking about?" he asked hastily. "A classy flower-bringing guy like me? A pervert? No way!" I could see Moka backing up as she moved away from Ginei and closer to us.

"Oh?" Kurumu asked with a grin. "So I assume that your collection of dirty pictures is just another aspect of your 'classy' lifestyle?"

Ginei's jaw dropped. "How did you—?!" He stopped abruptly, clamping his hands over his mouth as his eyes widened from the realization that he just admitted to actually owning the photos. I smirked.

"You also had a black eye the other day," I said loudly enough for him to hear. "And we have reports from a reliable witness that the peeping tom had tangled with someone who ended up punching him in the eye."

That reliable witness was, of course, me.

Ginei was openly gawking at us before understanding dawned on him. "You," he whispered while looking at me. "You were that guy…from the showers…"

Next to me, Kurumu chuckled. "And you just admitted to being the peeping tom. We got you Ginei," she said.

The older student stood still for several moments before a wide grin broke out on his face and he began laughing. The girls and I watched in confusion as he wiped a tear from his eye and took a breath.

"Oh, you guys are good," he chuckled while shaking his head. "I honestly didn't think that you'd catch on to me. But, since the situation's changed, it's obvious that plans need to change too." The grin on his face widened and he turned to Moka. "I didn't want to do this, but from the moment I saw you Moka, I told myself that I'd make you my woman."

 _Hello Saizou two-point-oh._

Ginei straightened out, his eyes wandering over Kurumu and I. "And I'm not going to let these two get in my way. Especially not you, Parker. I'm the Alpha Male here!"

I steeled myself when I noticed Ginei's body begin to change. Light grey fur began spreading across his body, and his face began lengthening, quickly turning into a muzzle. He gained close to a foot in height, and his overall muscle mass seemed to nearly double. The transformation ended with a loud howl before the creature's head snapped down to face us, revealing the face of a wolf.

"A werewolf," I heard Moka whisper. "Another S-Class monster…"

I gulped. I hadn't anticipated this. I hadn't expected Ginei to be an S-Class monster. What did I know about werewolves? All I could remember reading was that they were famous for unmatched speed.

A guttural laugh escaped Ginei's throat as he looked at us. **"Ha! The looks on your faces are priceless! Didn't expect this, did ya?"**

"Admittedly, no," I said. Next to me, Kurumu was already prepared to fight, just in case. Moka looked on in worry, her eyes trailing over Ginei in fear.

" **Heh, I told you: I'm the Alpha Male here!"** roared Ginei. **"And under this full moon, I'm unbeatable!"**

"Full moon?" I asked while glancing at Moka and Kurumu. "What's the moon got to do with his power?"

"Werewolves become faster as the light of the moon get brighter," Moka quickly informed me. "And on a full moon, they're at their strongest!"

"And that's as full as the moon's gonna get," muttered Kurumu while looking up at the bright red moon.

" **That's right! And like I said,** _ **nobody**_ **can hope to beat a werewolf on the night of a full moon, not even a vampire!"** said Ginei while he approached us. **"You guys don't stand a chance!"**

" _ **Peter, I believe it is time to show this mutt just who he's talking to."**_

I grinned upon hearing the voice of the other Moka. Kurumu stepped aside, smirking as I reached for Moka's rosary. "You know, Ginei, it's funny you should say that," I remarked as I gripped the pink-haired girl's rosary. She smiled at me as I did so. "Because Moka here just so happens to be…"

I yanked on the rosary, snapping it off. Familiar pink-red light filled my vision as a swarm of bats descended from the sky, plastering themselves to Moka. I heard Ginei gasp and cover his eyes as the blinding light from Moka's transformation filled the area. Finally, the light faded and the bats exploded into action, peeling off Moka's body in a burst of wings and fangs. Silver hair flowed in the red moonlight, and red eyes shot open, a confident smile appearing on the vampire's face.

" **No way! She's…a** _ **vampire**_ **!"** shouted Ginei.

The inner Moka yawned, stretching slightly and showing off her clawed hands in a single smooth motion. Kurumu stared on in awe, while I sat back, smiling at the sight. The red eyes landed on Ginei, narrowing slightly.

" _You_ ," commanded the prideful voice of the vampire. "You're the mongrel that is in possession of those pictures of me." She turned her nose up, snorting in what I assumed to be disgust. "What makes you think you deserve to look at me in such a state of undress? Who do you think you are?"

And then Ginei surprised everybody once more. He began laughing. **"Aha! So this is what you turn out to be Moka?! A vampire?! Heh, well this is the freakin'** _ **best**_ **!"** The werewolf spread out his arms. **"Well, if a vampire's gonna be my woman, then first I'll have to show you who the pack leader is!"**

Ginei shot forward like a bullet. Moka barely had time to frown before she lashed out on instinct, striking at the glowing blur that was Ginei Morioka.

Her hand, however, met empty air.

" **What are you aiming at? I'm over here!"**

We all turned to see Ginei standing several yards behind Moka, a grin on his muzzle. **"You vampires might be known for super strength, but what good is that if you can't hit me?"**

Ginei charged again. This time, Moka only managed to dodge him, but his claws slashed her skirt, causing the vampire to narrow her eyes further.

"Whoa," I whispered. Perverted antics aside, this guy's speed was something else. If he fought me, my reflexes alone wouldn't be enough to dodge him for long. The only thing that would save me in a prolonged fight would be my spider-sense, and even then, he could overwhelm me if he kept up a flurry of rapid attacks. "Scooby Doo has been hitting the gym," I muttered.

"How's Moka supposed to win this?" asked Kurumu. "Gin's right: her super strength is useless if she can't hit him!"

"She'll find a way," I replied. "And if she doesn't, I'll intervene."

"And what can you do against Gin?" asked Kurumu. "You have something to counter his speed?"

Yeah, and it was called the spider-sense. That would have given me enough time to slow Ginei down. I smiled and made eye contact with the succubus. "As a matter of fact, I do. But I think Moka's got this one in the bag. I mean, super speed isn't that hard to counter, if you know what you're doing."

Focusing on the battle once more, I watched as Moka barely dodged another one of Ginei's strikes. **"You may be a vampire Moka, but you can't win! You think you can hit me?! Come on baby, try it!"**

Moka's right sleeve tore as it was slashed by Ginei's claws. The vampire grunted in response. Judging by her facial expression, this fight was far more serious than anything I had seen her fight up to this point. Suddenly, however, Moka's face gained a confident look, and her eyes met mine momentarily as she offered a smirk before jumping high into the air.

"Come then, you flea-bitten fool!" she shouted from midair. "If you think you can take me on, come prove it!"

" **You're about to eat those words!"** roared Ginei as he rocketed towards Moka, leaving behind nothing more than a glowing streak. But as he approached Moka, she made no move to dodge, and I winced as Ginei drove his fist into her stomach. Vampire or not, she felt the blow. Ginei jerked his arm back and away from Moka, but grunted in surprise when she looked back at him, a grin spreading across her face.

The symbiote figured out Moka's plan before I did. I grinned when its thoughts met mine, quickly deciphering the meaning behind Moka's actions.

 _Ah, so that's what she's doing…_

"Oh no!" Kurumu whispered. "Is she okay?!"

"Don't worry," I said with a grin. "Moka just won."

"What?"

Moka's hands shot out, wrapping around Ginei's wrist. The werewolf tried to pull away, but couldn't, and the two continued plummeting towards the rooftop. "What good is super speed when you can't accelerate?!" shouted Moka before she brought her right leg up.

"Know. Your. Place!" she roared as she delivered a powerful kick to the side of Ginei's head. This was followed up with a second kick placed atop his head, sending the werewolf flying towards the ground with a loud howl of pain, reminding me of Moka's attack against Tamao, back during the fight with the mermaids. I stiffened when I saw how fast Ginei was flying and just where he'd land. At the speed he was going, hitting the rooftop could seriously injure him.

Frowning, I jumped for him, leaving a stunned Kurumu behind. I met him midair, grabbing him by the nape of his neck before landing on the roof. Ginei grunted slightly as I dropped him on the rooftop, firing strings of webbing and pinning him down.

A thump behind me signified Moka's landing, and I turned to face the silver-haired vampire. "Nice kicks," I said as she approached. "But try to take into account the results of the attack. If Gin had hit the roof, it wouldn't have been pretty."

Moka snorted. "He would have been fine. There was no need to aid him."

"That was awesome!" Kurumu laughed as she approached us. "You totally knocked him out!"

"He's still conscious, actually," I pointed out.

"Perhaps we ought to fix that," said Moka before looking at Ginei and shaking her head. "Hmm, what a fool. If speed is your key to victory, you shouldn't go throwing yourself into the air where you can't properly accelerate."

A pained grunt was Ginei's only response. I chuckled quietly before putting my hands on my hips. "Well, here comes the fun part: dealing with the aftermath."

A moment of silence followed before Moka spoke. "I think I shall be taking my leave now," she said while holding her hand out for the rosary. I shot her an annoyed look.

"Why, thank you for your help, O mighty vampire," I said dryly. Moka smiled.

"You're welcome, O strange spider," she replied with a small smile.

I snorted before pulling the rosary out of my pocket and tossing it to her, while Kurumu laughed at the exchange. Moka paused as she brought the rosary to her neck and looked at me, her smile still present.

"And Peter…good work. Ginei might have gone unnoticed were it not for you."

I shrugged. "Hey, all in a day's work. Catching bad guys is what I do."

Because after all, I was Spider-Man.

 **A/N:** _We're almost at 200 followers guys! Thank you so much! Also, fun fact, I finished editing this chapter at 3:16 in the morning. I'm ready to collapse at this point…good thing there's just a little bit left._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Breaking In:** _Spider-Man has, on multiple occasions and in multiple portrayals, broken into facilities, homes, secret bases, regular bases, and just about everything else. Many of these feats were accomplished while in the red and blue suit, so I figured that having this Peter do the same wouldn't throw him out of character. And like he said, this isn't a regular thing for him._

 **Moka vs. Ginei:** _Like I said in a previous chapter, Inner Moka will receive attention. While she hasn't had any major conversations yet, I'll still give her the chance to take down the baddie of the day. I don't want this to be a 'Peter saves everybody' story, and while I can envision several ways for Peter to beat Ginei, I thought it would be appropriate to give Inner Moka a shot at him. The canon fight itself felt rather stupid, what with Ginei only losing with the moon being covered by clouds. Had that not happened, he might have won. Here, I decided to actually make Moka work a little to achieve her victory, since Gin is still an S-Class monster._

 **Moka Romance?:** _This section is meant to give a little insight on my thoughts on Peter's view of Moka's actions towards him. It felt a bit wrong to have him think that Moka was actually in love with him, mostly because Peter's not the most observant when it comes to girls liking him, but it also felt wrong to make him completely oblivious. I opted to have him take the route that I thought most logical, and have him assume that Moka was clinging to him because he was the first friend to care for her. Whether or not he's right isn't for me to tell here, but I thought I might point this all out in its own section for curious readers._

 **Symbiote Sight:** _I once read that Carnage was capable of seeing from every part of his body, allowing him to look in all directions. This symbiote does NOT work like that. That would be far too powerful, seeing as Peter already has the spider-sense and supernatural reflexes. Instead, this symbiote can see from one area of its own body at any given point in time, but if it wants to, it can start looking from a different part, which can be compared to looking into a room from a security camera before switching to another camera in the same room that simply has a different angle._


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved in this story._

 **Arachnophile801:** _Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if I'd get a review from you for last chapter. Yeah, having little social interaction and having their own strange customs will definitely make some of the Rosario + Vampire characters seem a bit crazy, but I think the main thing that makes them come off as so odd is that they're anime/manga characters. They're rarely, if ever, normal by the standards of most people (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Ah, okay, thank you for clearing that bit about Ginei up. So the guest feature, huh? That would explain a lot. For one, it's why I couldn't PM you, and it seems to be linked to your reviews showing up several days after being posted (I get the email, but your review won't appear on this site for upwards of five days after you actually post it). Do you think you could try posting one review from your account? That way, we can test to see if it'll show up on time or not. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed Inner Moka's remarks on Peter's break in and Spidey's conversation with Kurumu. I'd like to point out, however, that Peter is still capable of dodging bullets, so I think he could hold his own against Ginei for a period of time, at least until Ginei overwhelmed him with repeated attacks. Inner Moka has dodged him before in canon after all. And don't worry about late reviews—they're only a problem if they don't show up before I post the chapter, and yours still appeared for me before this chapter was finished, so I actually had time to write a reply. Alright then, as always, remind me if I missed anything, enjoy the chapter, stay awesome, and good luck with the stuff on your end. Anti-Atom out._

 **Remzal Von Enili:** _I've seen that ability, but I think it's a bit overpowered. The symbiote in and of itself is already giving Spidey a massive boost to his powers, and giving him high-tech armor might be going overboard._

 **seem14:** _Thanks, I'm glad the chapter was to your liking._

 **Pyromania101:** _I don't think it was ever explained if Inner Moka could communicate with the outside world, but in this story, it's assumed that she can._

 **tdychko:** _Thank you. That is all._

 **Laxard:** _You're right, actually. Not many heroes really obey the law, ironically enough._

 **theallaroundnerd:** _Lol, you got that right._

 **Lets Do That Again:** _Yeah, the original Venom wasn't at all like some of the modern portrayals. The sight ability wasn't as much a superpower as it was a basic sense; symbiotes are capable of seeing, but without eyes, their senses are spread across the surface of their body._

 **Kamencolin:** _I'm sorry, what? I don't understand what ability you're talking about. Can you clarify?_

 **SonicAnime2010:** _You're right, they are lucky to have that school amidst so many superhuman humans, and especially lucky when crossed over with a series that has even more super powered individuals than Marvel._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thank you._

 **A/N:** _Well, here it is: the chapter I've dreaded since starting this story. The chapter of Yukari Sendo. Gah, how does one even realistically write someone like Yukari? Regardless, I did my best, and the process took several tries, hence why this chapter took some extra work. So here's my attempt at writing Yukari Sendo. Enjoy._

 **-Chapter 12: Webs and Witches-**

"Excuse me," I muttered while attempting to push through the gathering crowd of students. "Pardon me, coming through."

"Two-hundred-and-first?! Alright!"

"I'm so nervous," muttered Kurumu as she followed me. "What if I failed?"

"I'm sure you did fine," Moka said from behind her.

I would have taken the time to offer some encouragement, but I was too busy trying to get through all the students and find the board with the exam results. For whatever reason, exams were held very early at this school, not that I minded. Personally, I found the tests easy, and breezed through them. Moka had told me that she didn't have any real problems, while Kurumu…wasn't all that confident. But while the exams weren't a problem for me in the slightest, I had a different issue to worry about.

Nearly two weeks had passed since Ginei had been caught and exposed. In those two weeks, _nothing_ out of the ordinary had happened. It was just like going to a normal school, and that was a problem because the symbiote craved action, and without a steady diet of combat, it grew restless.

Not to mention the fact that adrenaline served as one of the bodily substances that the symbiote fed off of. The fights I ended up in—both back in New York and here—gave my body the chance to actually produce that adrenaline, but now it was gone. Both the symbiote and I knew that, if things didn't change, I'd have to find a substitute for combat. In New York, on the rare occasion that there was nothing to fight, I'd just web swing. If anything, that would probably be what I resorted to here, and it seemed as though I'd have to do it soon.

The last source of adrenaline had been breaking into Ginei's room. The actual fight with the werewolf had been handled by Moka, so _that_ hadn't provided any real thrill. And as the vampire had predicted, the teachers reacted more or less similar to how Saizou's case had been handled, the difference being that Ginei had been suspended for a short period of time, rather than enrolled in the program for problematic students. I didn't know then why that had been his punishment, but I found out soon enough. The day after the whole incident, I had gone to the library and read up a little on werewolves, and the information I found had actually put the whole situation into a new light.

I had already discovered that a werewolf's power fluctuated depending on the how much moonlight there was, and because of Yōkai Academy's strange tendency to have a full moon more often than not—yet another phenomenon that I didn't understand—Ginei had been exposed to that light a lot. The moonlight had a negative side effect, however: it made it difficult for a werewolf to control him or herself. Under the light of the moon, they relied more on their instincts and less on logic. Ginei was a pervert, there was no doubt about that, but because of his nature as a werewolf, exposure to the moonlight drove him out of control at night.

That would also explain why he was so much tamer during our club meets. During the day, there was no moon out, so Ginei didn't have any moonlight to make him go crazy. At night, however, he gave into his instincts, and because of his perverted personality and interest in Moka, he had gone to great lengths to both acquire pictures of girls and to make Moka 'his woman'. I had, of course, immediately taken this to the teachers to ensure that something was done about Ginei's lack of control. I was positive that the teachers had something to deal with werewolves, but I wanted to make sure they knew.

Thankfully, they did know, and Yōkai Academy actually implemented a system to help young werewolves. For one, the rule at Yōkai was to stay indoors at night. This was apparently not only for safety, but to help species of monsters that had a strong reaction to the moon and stars. But that wasn't all; species such as werewolves were instructed to regularly take a medicine provide by the school that would help stave off the effects of the moon. The medicine was, as characteristic of a magic school, a potion.

However, it was new, and had only been introduced this year. Ginei, being a second year student, had no idea it existed, and completely overlooked that little tidbit of information when enrolling, probably because he already expected to be familiar with the rules, and the result was the whole peeping tom incident. The girls had been informed as well, and Ginei himself had recently returned from his suspension, but was still absent from the Newspaper Club meetings we held. From what little I knew, the staff was making sure that Ginei was in control of himself and that he would actually take the medicine this time. I wasn't sure when he was coming back, but until then, I had other things to deal with.

Like getting through this slow crowd and seeing my test results.

"Maybe if we're lucky, we'll actually get to the board before this evening," I said while rolling my eyes. Kurumu giggled from behind me. After another minute or so, we finally managed to get through to the front of the crowd, where there stood a large board with the test results of the students in our grade. When the three of us got to it, we began searching for our names among the list of students.

"Whoa," I heard a few male voices breath from behind me. "Moka Akashiya is in thirteenth place!" I glanced over, seeing Moka looking at her name while many of the boys looked on at her. "She's got brains and beauty!"

I glanced away from the vampire, and quickly located my name. I couldn't stop a proud smile from appearing on my face when I saw my score.

"Yeah," said another boy in an overly-dreamy manner. "She's the ideal girlfriend…"

Moka was fighting down her embarrassment as she made her way over to me with a small smile. "So, thirteenth, huh?" I asked. "Nice work."

She fidgeted and rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, it was nothing. What about you?"

I grinned and jerked my head to the side, gesturing to the end of the board. Moka followed the movement, and her eyes widened when she saw where my name was. "First place?! You're first?!"

"Yup, tied with one 'Yukari Sendo'," I said with a nod.

"Peter, that's awesome!" exclaimed Moka. "Good job!"

"First place?!" I heard Kurumu shout. I turned to find the succubus staring at my name on the board with her mouth agape. "And you tied with Yukari of all people! I've heard that she's the smartest girl at this school!"

I gave her a helpless shrug. "Yeah well…I try. What about you, Kurumu? What did you get?"

The blue-haired girl groaned. "A bit higher than I would have expected, a lot lower than I would have liked."

I frowned upon hearing that. "You know, if you're struggling, I could tutor you. Some people just don't do well when studying alone."

A look of mild surprise passed over Kurumu's face. "You'd do that?"

I shrugged. "Sure. I've done it before. I actually held study sessions with a friend of mine before, and it helped bring his grades up. No reason I can't help you too."

Kurumu, meanwhile, repeatedly blinked at me for a second. "I…thank you Peter, I'd appreciate that."

"Don't mention it," I said with a smile. "Hey Mok—uh, Moka? Wait, where'd she go?"

I began looking around, but Kurumu interrupted my search. "What the?" she breathed. Blinking, I turned to follow her gaze until I saw what had alerted her. Moka stood with her arms outstretched in front of a small girl with three larger male students standing opposite her.

"Hello," I muttered. "What do we have here?"

Kurumu and I immediately went over, the gazes of dozens of students turning to watch the scene unfold.

"—ack off! You shouldn't go around hitting girls!" Moka said while standing her ground.

The boy closest to her took a step back, his eyes widening. "Who the hell are you?"

"There a problem here?" I asked while walking up to the group. I paused as I looked between the three male students, the girl in the witch costume, the heart-tipped wand thing that she was carrying, and what looked like three brass basins lying on the ground. "Wow, I'd love to hear the story behind all this."

"…tch! Come on guys, let's leave it at this and call it a day," growled one of the students as he turned around and snorted. "Disgusting witch, I swear, just being in the same class as you is enough to make me want to throw up."

I raised an eyebrow as I watched the trio leave. "A real bundle of joy, that one," I commented before turning to Moka and the unnamed girl—who I now assumed to be an actual witch. "You two alright?"

Moka nodded. "I'm fine. What about you?" she asked the girl she was defending. Said girl nodded while staring at the backs of the three retreating students. Her eyes passed over me, and I could have sworn that I saw her frown. The look disappeared almost instantly, and she turned back to Moka.

"I'm fine," she said while standing up. "Th-thanks."

 _She sounds as young as she looks. Just how old is this girl?_

Moka gave the girl a kind smile and stepped back. "I'm Moka Akashiya," she said. "What's your name?"

"Y-Yukari Sendo," came the reply. My eyes widened upon hearing that.

" _That's_ Yukari Sendo?!" I whispered to Kurumu as she stopped next to me. "How old is she?"

"Eleven," replied the succubus. "She skipped a couple grades."

I whistled quietly. To be so young and be outsmarting and outperforming so many older students? I wasn't sure if I should be impressed by Yukari or laughing at the students who couldn't keep up with an eleven-year-old girl in a witch costume. Regardless, the feat itself was definitely something that most people would be proud of.

"Say, Yukari," began Moka. "Why don't you come sit with us at lunch? We're going to eat in a few minutes, and you can join us."

Yukari gasped. "You mean it?! I can sit with you Moka?!"

"Of course!" replied the vampire. "We'd be happy to have you!"

The smaller girl beamed, grabbing Moka in a hug that left her confused for a second, before she smiled and hugged right back. "Oh, I'm so excited!" cried Yukari as she began pulling Moka along. "Come on, let's go!"

I smiled at the sight of Moka actually opening up to somebody new as Kurumu and I moved to follow them. We got to the lunchroom as the girls went to get their food. I made sure to remind Moka that she needed her tomato juice, but it seemed that the vampire was already on top of that. Eventually, we all sat down and began eating.

"So Yukari," began Moka. "I've heard that you've skipped several grades."

The witch girl smiled sheepishly, her face reddening. "Yeah, the teachers bumped me up a couple times."

"Wow, I guess that means you're super smart!" exclaimed Moka. "And your outfit rocks! Don't you guys think so?" The last part was directed at Kurumu and I. Kurumu shrugged at the question.

"I think it looks nice," she said. "Definitely unique."

"I'm just wondering how you haven't been called out on a dress code violation," I muttered. Kurumu giggled while Moka just smiled.

"Well, I still think it's an awesome witch outfit," said the pink-haired girl.

Yukari just waved her hands in a defensive manner. "Oh, well, um, thank you Moka, but you're the impressive one here. You're so smart, and cool, and kind, and beautiful…"

"Wow, you've got a fan," I whispered to Moka.

"Um, Moka, you should know, that I, uh," Yukari stuttered out. I raised an eyebrow at the scene. "I…I LOVE YOU!"

…

While staring dumbly at nothing in particular as I processed what I had heard, I was vaguely aware of Yukari jumping across the table and tackle-hugging Moka.

 _Symbiote…what just happened?_

The alien was as confused as I was. I almost failed to notice that Yukari was now lying on top of Moka, hugging her while the vampire stared on in shock.

"Peter…what just happened?" asked a dumbfounded Kurumu, as though parroting my question.

"Every time I see you pass by my classroom, I fall for you more and more Moka!" shouted Yukari as she lied on top of Moka. "But when you saved me today, I made up my mind and decided that you're the one!"

"Huh?!" gasped Moka. "What do you mean 'the one'?!"

"Well duh!" replied Yukari, her face redder than the inner Moka's eyes. "I want you to be my girlfriend!"

I had somehow managed to snap out of the state I had been in, and regained enough sense to return the confused, helpless stare Moka was giving me. She looked between my shocked face and Yukari's grinning one several times before stuttering out a response. "Uh, I can be a girl…and a friend?"

"Yippee!"

I think I tried to say something, but whatever it was just failed to get past my malfunctioning jaw, which hung open like nobody's business. Moka, meanwhile, tried to pry the giggling witch girl off of her body, clearly struggling to do so. She finally got Yukari off and managed to stand, only to have the still-giggling girl latch onto her legs in a second hug.

The vampire shot me another helpless look. Finally, _finally_ I managed to figure out how to speak. "I, um…okay, this conversation took a turn I was not prepared for."

"Haha! Moka, let's go and celebrate!"

Kurumu and I watched dumfounded as Yukari dragged a confused Moka out through the cafeteria doors, giggling like a schoolgirl all the way. Several seconds passed after they left, and Kurumu and I finally reacted.

"Well…that escalated quickly," muttered the succubus.

"Yeah…we should probably follow them and get this sorted out," I finally answered while beginning to move after Moka and Yukari.

"Agreed," replied Kurumu as she followed me. We made it out of the cafeteria only to find Yukari grabbing Moka's…chest.

"Yukari, please stop," pleaded the vampire as she used her hands to push Yukari's down. "I really don't—"

"Oh come on, I just want to feel them! I'm flat as a pancake, so touching yours would be a dream come true!"

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I mumbled. Thisgirl was also a pervert?! Good grief, first Saizou, then Ginei, and now _this_?! _Why_?! Why was everybody some sort of pervert out to get Moka?!

"Yukari, please," said Moka. "I'm really not comfortable with—"

"Pleeeaaaasseee? Just a squeeze!"

Despite the absurdity of all this, watching Moka struggle with a grabby student still caused my instincts to kick in. She was being touched by someone without her permission, which, given the history of some students at this school, was cause for alarm, in my eyes.

"Yukari," I said evenly, prompting the two girls to turn to me. "You're making Moka uncomfortable. She asked you to stop. So stop."

I heard Moka breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks Peter," she mouthed to me. Yukari, meanwhile sighed as well, but I could tell it wasn't a sigh of relief.

"Peter Parker," began the small girl, turning to face me entirely. "I knew I'd have to deal with you sooner or later."

Deal with me? I didn't like where this was going, and neither did the symbiote. It was already on guard.

"I know all about you," continued Yukari. "In terms of appearance, you're almost completely average. However, your athletic ability is reportedly exceptional, boasting physical strength, speed, flexibility, and agility that's above and beyond that of the average monster. Interesting, considering your true form isn't rumored to be very bulky or large. Your grades indicate genius-level intellect, and teachers say you're respectful and obedient during class, a supposedly ideal student and role model."

"Um, thank you?" I said awkwardly.

The witch girl suddenly glared at me, a small grin on her face. "All in all, you're a worthy rival."

"A riv—wait, what?" I asked.

"Peter Parker!" Yukari suddenly shouted, pointing her 'wand' at me. "From this day onward, you are my rival, and I'm declaring war on you! The victor will receive Moka Akashiya as their girlfriend!"

What the heck was she talking about?!

"G-G-G- _Girlfriend_?!" shouted Moka.

"That's right!" declared Yukari. "Moka, I won't let you slip away from me! I love you, and I'm willing to fight for you, even if it means taking on Peter Parker!"

"Can we stop for a second and—"

"Magic wand, brooms and buckets," chanted Yukari. "Magic wand, brooms and buckets…"

I blinked. _Now_ what was she doing?

"Abracadabra!"

I flinched on instinct, bringing my arms up and preparing to defend myself. A dumbstruck Moka and Kurumu watched the scene unfold, and a grinning Yukari watched me patiently. "What did you just do to me?" I demanded.

But before anybody could answer, a loud noise alerted me to something shaking behind me, and I turned to find an old janitor's locker trembling as though something were trying to break free. The door suddenly burst open, and out flew…brooms and buckets. The longer of the two brooms reached me first, setting off my spider-sense as it approached. My hand shot up and grabbed the wooden handle, crushing it instantly and throwing it aside as it fell apart. Acting on impulse, I webbed the buckets to the wall, and the final broom was caught between the palms of my hands as I brought them together while leaning back and allowing the broom to sail over my head. My hands clapped together on the wooden part of the broom, as with the previous one, and snapped it in half with ease.

The two halves clattered to the ground at my feet, leaving the four of us to stand in silence for a few seconds. "Rats," I heard Yukari mumble. "Faster than I thought…"

Her voice seemed to snap the rest of us out of our stupor. "Peter!" Moka shouted. "Oh my gosh, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," I replied slowly. "Only…confused. Was I just attacked by possessed cleaning supplies?"

"It's magic!" Yukari shouted. "Don't you know anything about witches?"

So this girl was in fact a witch.

I slowly turned to the witch, frowning at her. "Look, let's just all calm down and sort this—" I was cut off as crowds of students flooded out of the cafeteria room, signaling the end of our lunch.

"Oops, gotta go!" Yukari proclaimed. "But don't worry Moka, I'll win you yet!" And with that, Yukari Sendo went running off, giggling to herself while the rest of us watched her leave.

"…I was not ready for today," Kurumu remarked.

"You and me both," I mumbled.

Crazy witch girl or not, school went on, and the three of us continued with our classes for the remainder of the day. And after Yukari's scene, I was diligent in checking every classroom I entered for any signs of the preteen. Thankfully, I shared no classes with her, which meant I didn't have to worry about inanimate objects suddenly coming to life and attacking me.

Oddly enough, it wasn't until later on in the day that I realized that Yukari's little stunt had given me a chance to produce a little adrenaline for the symbiote, so that at least provided a little 'food' for the alien. When classes finally ended for the day, Kurumu and I went to our club room as per usual, while Moka took a trip to the bathroom.

"Ugh," groaned Kurumu. "I just don't get how people do this." She was staring at a math worksheet that she had failed to complete in class, and was desperately trying to get through it in our free time.

"Here, let me take a look at it," I said while leaning in. It only took a few seconds to recognize the operations and only slightly longer to recall how to perform them. "Alright, grab a seat, I'll give you a hand." Kurumu grabbed a chair and sat down at a desk while I stood next to her.

"Okay," I began. "So think of factoring as something similar to reverse-multiplying. It's not dividing though, don't get those two confused."

The next few minutes were dedicated to helping Kurumu with her work. The succubus was visibly confused, and eventually, she groaned and leaned back in her chair. "I'll never get this!" she wailed.

"Relax, you'll learn," I encouraged. "It just takes a bit of work and some time. Here, just—huh? What in the— _OOMF!_ "

My hand suddenly balled into a fist and _slammed into my face_. The sheer shock of watching my limb move of its own accord and without the symbiote's interference left me vulnerable, and when my fist inexplicably rocketed towards my face, it connected. I stumbled backwards, nearly walking into a desk. Kurumu shot up from her seat instantly, eyes wide.

"Peter? What are you doing?!"

"I don't know!"

 _Symbiote! What's going on?!_

The alien was panicking. It had no clue what was happening— _neither_ of us did. My body seemed to be moving entirely of its own accord! I suddenly lurched forward, my hands involuntarily reaching out for Kurumu. She yelped and scrambled back, tripping over her chair.

"Kurumu, I can't control my body!" I shouted as the symbiote's tendrils desperately engulfed me in the black suit for better control as my partner attempted to pilot my body to stop this madness. "It's moving on its own, keep your distance! I don't want to end up hurting you!"

I was stumbling around at this point. Whatever force was moving me was having less of an effect with the symbiote frantically trying to steer my body. With our minds linked, we could coordinate our movements, and together, we began fighting against the influence of whatever outside force was causing this. My sudden, jerky motions were reduced to slow, shaky ones as the symbiote and I struggled to maintain control.

"What should I do?!" Kurumu asked, taking care to stay far away from me.

"Get help!" I shouted, fighting against my hands' strange attempts at reaching for Kurumu. Just what the heck was happening?!

"But I can't leave you—"

"Just go! I don't know how long I can keep this up, and you're in danger if whatever is controlling me tries to hurt you! Get a teacher or somebody! _Anybody_!"

The symbiote fired strands of black webbing from my arms and legs, forcibly anchoring me to the ground and helping to halt my movements all the more. Kurumu watched me in fear before glancing at the door and then back to me. However, just as it looked as though she were about to make a decision, her eyes drifted to the window. They widened almost instantly, and she ran to the far wall of the room.

Before I could ask what she was doing, Kurumu threw open the window, and it was then that I noticed the top of a witch's hat just outside. The succubus reached out, grabbing something—or, more likely, someone—and yanked them into the room. A straw doll fell to the floor at Kurumu's feet, and as it did, I suddenly felt the pressure in my limbs vanish, and I jerked forward as the force I was fighting suddenly disappeared. Whirling around as the symbiote's black webbing was retracted, my jaw dropped when I saw an angry-looking Yukari Sendo glaring at Kurumu.

"Hey!" she shouted. "I was almost done!"

 _Is she INSANE?!_

I collapsed on the ground, panting and steadying my racing heart. The symbiote, meanwhile, was doing something similar to the mental equivalent of that. The black suit slowly peeled off as the symbiote and I regained our composure. Shortly after the alien had taken the form of my school uniform, I glared at Yukari.

"Yukari," I growled form the floor. "We need to talk."

Several minutes passed after that. Yukari's voodoo doll was confiscated, and after I was sure it wouldn't harm me, I promptly tore it to pieces. I was infinitely grateful for the fact that the doll functioned nothing like Kurumu's charm. If it had affected my mind like the succubus' magic, it would have affected the symbiote too, and driven it berserk again. While angry and definitely panicked, the alien's anger was nothing like the cold fury it had felt when Kurumu had tried to hypnotize me—when a foreign power had actually touched the mind of the symbiote and driven it into a blind panic…and a blind rage. Moka eventually returned, and the situation was quickly explained. However, her response to the whole thing left me utterly flabbergasted.

"Peter, calm down," said Moka. "She's just a kid, it's not a big deal!"

I gaped at her, wondering if she was serious. "Not a big deal?! Moka, she _took control of my body_!" I could see Yukari sticking her tongue out at me from behind Moka. "If that's not a big deal, I don't know what is!"

"Nobody was hurt, now where they?" Yukari asked smugly.

"You had me try to grab Kurumu," I said, glaring at her. "What were you planning on doing from there, huh?"

"Peter, please!" Moka exclaimed. "You can't go losing your temper with a kid like this!"

"This isn't me losing my temper," I insisted, though I was closer to doing so than I would have liked. "Look," I continued. "Yukari needs to learn that this behavior is not acceptable."

Moka looked away from me, shifting uncertainly. "I…I suppose you might be right," she mumbled. "But…"

"Yukari, listen," I said, turning to look at the witch. "If you keep this up, nobody will want to be around you. This kind of behavior will only get you a bad reputation! People will hate you!"

Yukari snorted. "Who cares? Most people can't even keep up with me. I'm a genius after all! If they're not on my level, why should I be friends with them anyway?"

"Take it from me," I retorted. "Being smart isn't a substitute for having friends. If you stick with this 'I don't need anybody' attitude, you'll only end up depressed and alone. Trust me, I've been there."

"Yeah?! Well so have I!" said Yukari before she leaned back, a sad smile passing over her face. "So what's the big deal? I've…I've always been alone…"

The rest of us paused when we heard her broken tone. Silence reigned for a second or so, and just as I was about to say something, I saw Yukari's wand twitch, and my spider-sense suddenly went off. My hand shot into the air, catching a brass basin that had suddenly materialized over my head.

"Aw, so close!" Yukari said while pouting.

I couldn't help but clench my teeth as I tossed the basin to the ground. "Seriously? Can we not have a normal conversation without you attacking me?!"

Before I could even finish my sentence, Yukari was already running out of the room, laughing loudly. "All's fair in love and war!"

"I know you saw that!" I said to Moka. "She attacked me just because! What did I ever do to her? Nothing!"

But she's a witch!" Moka argued, shutting her eyes and clenching her fists. "I know what she's going through and I won't abandon her!" The vampire turned and began running out of the room.

I groaned in frustration. "Moka, wait!" She didn't stop, instead running right out the door, presumably after Yukari. "Ugh! What's gotten into her?!" I shouted. Next to me, Kurumu sighed.

"It's probably because she feels bad for Yukari," she said with a shrug. "You know, what with her being a witch and all."

I turned to the succubus. "Care to clarify?" I asked.

Kurumu raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know?"

"I'm asking you because I don't know."

The blue-haired girl frowned. "Well, witches don't have it easy. They're sort of like half-breeds, close to both humans and monsters, but not really either one. They receive a lot of hate from monsters because of this, but it was just as bad with the humans. You know about the witch trials and the witch hunts from back in the day, right?"

I stiffened slightly. Of course I knew, it wasn't uncommon to hear it in school at certain points. The only problem was that I had always chalked it up to superstition and ignorance. Were some of the people that died during those events actual witches?

"I remember something about them, yes," I replied.

"Then you know just how much they're hated in the human world," continued Kurumu. "It's not easy for them in either the monster world or the human one. They've always been a hated people."

I stood there, digesting the information for several seconds. I knew from experience what it was like to be bullied by some and ignored by pretty much everyone else. If what Kurumu said was true, then Yukari must have had it even worse than I did when I was her age, which probably implied a lot of emotional pain.

"Yukari in particular has a pretty bad reputation here too," Kurumu commented. "She plays her pranks on people—if you can even call what she does 'pranks'—and she tends to get into arguments with others."

So I wasn't the first to deal with Yukari's antics.

"But that's just about all I know," Kurumu finished.

I silently went over all that I had just heard and learned. There may have been more to Yukari than I had thought, but…

"That still doesn't give her an excuse to act so irresponsibly," I said quietly. "She's putting others in danger, as well as herself. Her 'pranks' tend to be pretty extreme, from what I've experienced, and it's only a matter of time before she seriously hurts somebody…or before she runs into someone that won't hesitate to break her in half if she tries any of her stunts with them. And with Moka dead set on helping her, she might get caught in the middle of things if somebody ever did try to get back at Yukari."

"So…what are we going to do about it?" Kurumu asked gently.

I sighed. "That girl needs help. But before anything can be done, she needs to stop these pranks of hers before she crosses the line. If we can get her to see that what she's been doing is wrong, she can improve from there."

"And Moka?"

I swallowed. The vampire had been through something similar to Yukari: being alone and mistreated. I once again assumed that Yukari had it far worse than Moka, but that didn't stop Moka from relating and trying to help. Unfortunately, it seemed as though in her desire to help, she had overlooked just how much trouble Yukari could get herself into with her pranks and attitude.

"She'll…she'll understand," I replied slowly. "If she would just stop and listen to me for a second, I'd be able to point out that I have nothing against her helping Yukari. I just want to make sure neither of them gets hurt, but given Yukari's tendencies, they're likely to run into trouble sooner or later if we don't do anything about it. I can understand if Moka wants to be there for Yukari, but by being so lenient with her, she's fooling Yukari into thinking that these jokes of hers are harmless. They're not. Dropping a water basin on somebody's head isn't funny, nor is taking control of their body."

I sighed."But because I didn't get to say all this earlier," I groaned. "Moka probably thinks I just don't want her helping Yukari, and now we have to find _both_ of them."

"Then we should get to it," Kurumu said with a small smile. "We can't split up, and it won't be light outside forever. The sooner we can work all this out, the better."

"Right," I answered. "Let's go." We set out after that, leaving our clubroom behind and beginning our search for Moka and Yukari. Neither Kurumu nor I actually knew where they went, so we were forced to ask around to see if anybody saw them. Thankfully, plenty of people saw Yukari and Moka as they each ran out of our clubroom, so we actually got the information we needed. It was like following a trail of footprints: students would point us in the direction they saw Yukari and Moka run, and then we'd follow. We'd ask other students along the way, and they'd give us more information on where they saw our friends go.

We ran into a few small problems, but ultimately, we managed to stay on their trail. However, when we got outside, we finally ran into a real issue.

"Yukari?" asked the female student that we were speaking to. "The Sendo girl? No, I can't say I've seen her, but I heard some rumor that she went to the swamp area with a few guys in her class."

I reeled back. "The swamp? Why would she go there?"

The student shrugged. "Beats me. Go ask her yourself."

I turned to Kurumu while the student began walking away. "What do you make of it?"

"I don't like it," replied Kurumu with a shake of her head. "Not one bit."

I suddenly froze as the symbiote reminded me of something: a short scene that had occurred when we had first met Yukari and the three students who had so openly despised her. What the alien was implying became all too clear "Kurumu," I whispered. "Do you remember those three guys that Moka protected Yukari from earlier today?"

"Uh, yes?"

"Do you think…do you think they could have _taken_ Yukari to the swamp?"

The succubus' eyes slowly widened. "Oh crap…you don't think that…"

"Yukari might have already ticked off the wrong people," I said while jumping to my feet. "We need to get to that swamp. If Moka managed to follow Yukari, she might be there as well." Kurumu was up instantly, following me as I ran through the halls and outside. Once we got to the edge of the woods, I turned to Kurumu. "Kurumu, do you think you can carry us up into the air for a bird's eye view?"

She paused before nodding. A second later, large wings sprouted from her back, and a dark tail poked out from her backside. She reached out and grabbed me under the armpits, lifting us into the air. The symbiote, meanwhile, quickly formed the black suit, momentarily startling Kurumu. The alien made no attempt to hide its excitement and joy at the possibility of a fight and a chance for me to produce adrenaline after nearly two weeks of lacking it.

Kurumu carried us into the sky, giving us a good view of the forest beneath us. Unfortunately, it was then that we saw the swamp itself. "Oh of _course_ there's fog today," I groaned upon seeing our destination.

"Peter, I can't see anything down there," said Kurumu. "The fog's too thick to get a good view from up here."

"Alright, take us down to where the fog is just starting," I said while looking around. "Keep an eye on our surroundings. Yukari might not be at the swamp yet."

The succubus did as I asked, and brought us down to the ground. We both looked around for Yukari as we flew, but we saw nothing that indicated her presence. It wasn't long before we both stood on solid land, a foggy curtain just in front of us. We hadn't actually entered the swamp yet, seeing as we weren't knee deep in water, but we were getting close.

"If you get lost," I began. "Don't go blindly stumbling around. Just fly into the air and above the fog. But try and stay close to me all the same."

"Right."

We slowly stepped into the fog. It wasn't impossible to see by any means, but the fog made it considerably more difficult. Anything that was too far away was just a grey blob to me.

"Damn," I heard Kurumu mutter. "We're not going to find anybody unless they're close to us."

She was right. Finding Yukari would take ages in this weather. We could shout for her, but that would undoubtedly give us away, and ruin the element of surprise. However, it would increase our chances of finding her before something happened. "Hey," I said to Kurumu. "If you've got any ideas, feel free to share. Otherwise, I'm going to try calling for Yukari."

Kurumu hesitated but ultimately gave me a determined look. "Go for it."

Nodding, I inhaled deeply, preparing to shout. "YUKARI!" I roared at the top of my lungs. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

For a second, nothing happened, but then, I heard it: the faint scream of a young female voice in the distance.

"Did you hear that?!" I quickly asked.

"Yeah, come on!" Kurumu answered while running ahead of me. I took off at a full sprint, easily catching up with the girl. I slowed down when I reached her and turned to face her.

"Try flying just behind me," I said. "You won't be able to keep up if you run."

Kurumu understood and jumped, spreading her wings and gliding over the ground next to me. I began moving faster after she did that, quickly reaching full speed. With Kurumu flying behind me, the two of us covered ground quickly. Sprinting like this was dangerous, seeing as we were so close to a swampy area, which created the risk of running straight into the water without even noticing because of the fog. Regardless, we pushed on, intent on finding the source of the scream. We didn't know exactly where it had come from, but we knew the general direction, and it was in that direction that we went. I had no clue how long we had gone on like that, but it probably felt longer than it actually was.

"HELLO?!" I shouted, hoping to hear a response.

"Here!"

I jerked at the closeness of the voice—and the familiarity. I dashed to the right, Kurumu following closely behind me. After a second or so, I saw two shapes—one nearly twice the height of the other—running towards us. The larger of the two had a distinct head of pink hair that I recognized instantly.

"Peter!" shouted Moka. "Watch out, they're right behind us!"

"Who's—" Kurumu began, only to be cut off as three more shapes appeared in the fog, chasing after Moka and the smaller figure that I now recognized as Yukari. The closest of the three shapes following them came into focus first, and when it did, I did a double take at the sight. For one horrible second, I thought that the Lizard had somehow broken into Yōkai Academy. However, I quickly realized that that wasn't the case. The lizard creature that came charging out of the fog was dressed in Yōkai's uniform—save for the blazer—and it was significantly smaller than Doctor Connors had been.

" **Get back here you prepubescent little runt!"**

Two more lizard creatures came bounding out of the fog in pursuit of Yukari and Moka. However, all three of them skidded to a stop when they saw Kurumu and me. **"Oh great, now there's more of them! What, did you two come along to give a sappy backstory like Miss Melodrama over here?"**

I blinked, quickly regaining my composure. "Uh, no, I just came to frolic in the swamp."

While I said that, the symbiote's excitement continued to grow. The moment the three lizards had entered the scene, it had begun hoping for a fight. And with the fight now in sight, the alien was ecstatic to finally see some action—and get some more adrenaline.

The lizard in the front growled at me. I rolled my eyes. "Okay, you got me. I secretly came to beat you guys up." I turned to Yukari and Moka. "You two, get behind me. If those guys want you, they'll be going through me."

"W-why?" whispered Yukari. "Why did you of all people come? You hate me!"

"Hate you? Who said I hated you?" I asked. "Was I angry? Yes. Am I still angry? A little. But at no point in time did I start to downright hate you."

The witch stared at me, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly opened. I, meanwhile, turned back to the lizards, which had begun to advance on us. **"Oh no, we are** _ **not**_ **going to sit around while somebody gives another touchy-feely speech and completely ignores us!"**

"Hey," I said quietly to the girls behind me. "Any of you know anything about these guys?"

"Lizardmen," Moka answered. "They're an intelligent species, but not all that powerful."

 _Clever but weak, huh? Shouldn't be too much of a problem._

"Kurumu!" I called. "Get Moka and Yukari out of the way for now, I can handle Killer Croc and his amazing friends!"

"Wait, Peter!" shouted Moka. "Do you need the other me to help you?"

"Nah," I replied, cracking my neck. "I think I've got this one. I'll be sure to give your other half a call if I need her though."

The closest of the 'Lizardmen' charged, his alligator-like jaw opening as he roared. **"Let's eat, boys!"** His goons followed him, uttering guttural shouts as they approached us.

The symbiote was practically laughing in excitement. After nearly two weeks of waiting, we finally had the chance to be Spider-Man again—or, as close to Spider-Man as we could get in this place.

The lizard that reached me first seemed to be their leader. He swiped a clawed hand at me, which I sidestepped without difficulty. I stuck my foot out as the lizard stumbled past me, tripping over my outstretched leg. The second of the three reptiles reached me a split-second later, aiming his teeth at my neck as he tried to grab me in his mouth. My hands shot out, grabbing the creature by his jaws and holding them open while he tried to bite down.

"Huh," I muttered. "A _lot_ weaker..."

Connors had been ferocious, powerful, lightning quick and overall a deadly opponent. But these guys? These guys were absolute lightweights compared to the Lizard I knew.

I pushed the Lizardman that I was holding aside, straight into his fallen buddy, sending them both sprawling on the ground again. The third and final Lizardman was upon me now, throwing a sloppy punch at my head.

"So what's your story?" I asked as I ducked under the slow attack, jumping towards my adversary and crashing into his legs. He flipped over me as I forced myself under and past him. With a yelp, he tumbled over my back and onto the ground, falling on his side as I jumped to my feet. "Bit by a radioactive iguana?" I finished, stepping back and watching as the three Lizardmen hauled themselves to their feet. I was dragging this out a little further than needed and I knew it, but I wanted to make sure the symbiote stayed well-fed, and I had no clue when the next fight would come along.

All three turned to look at me in surprise when they were up.

" **Class president, he's good,"** muttered one of the Lizardmen. **"What do we do?"**

" **Tch! He got the drop on us that time. Keep your guard up and it won't happen again!"** said the student who I assumed to be the class president as he charged at me. Like last time, he attempted to hit me with a wild swipe of his clawed hand, bringing it around and trying to hit me from the side. My arm snapped up, blocking the Lizardman as his wrist crashed against my forearm, stopping it dead in its tracks.

" **Wha—? How?"** he asked, ironically, dropping his guard moments after advising against it.

I smiled. "Spider strength," I said while planting my foot in the male's stomach, sending him flying backwards. "Accept no substitute."

Plus symbiote strength, of course. Couldn't forget my partner's contributions.

The Lizardman landed in a heap, groaning as he clutched his stomach. As his two friends ran towards me, I shot a web line that attached itself firmly to his leg. Satisfied with its hold, I wrapped my fingers around the thin string of webbing and jerked on it, pulling it along as I spun my upper body in a circular motion, swinging the web line—and, by extension, the Lizardman—in a wide arc.

I let go as the two charging Lizardmen closed in, sending their leader flying into them. The trio landed in a single pile, tangled in the web line that had snapped around to ensnare them as I had let go of it. To finish the job, I fired more webbing at the defeated students, pinning them to the ground. I put my hands on my hips as I stepped back to admire my handiwork.

 _Well, that should be enough action to keep us going._

The symbiote agreed, happy that we had finally been granted the chance to do what we did best.

Hearing footsteps, I turned to find Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari approaching me, though Yukari was visibly hesitant. Kurumu, meanwhile, frowned at the pile of Lizardmen. "You toyed with them," she said plainly. "I fought you before, I know you're stronger than this."

I couldn't think of a response fast enough, so I shrugged to by an extra second or two of time. When that wasn't enough, I glanced at the defeated lizard creatures before finally coming up with a valid excuse. "I didn't know how powerful they were. I didn't want to accidently overdo it and hurt them."

While technically true, it still wasn't the main reason I had taken my time with the reptiles. But I couldn't just tell the girls that I needed to produce adrenaline to keep the symbiote healthy—nor could I say that it was for my own body. That would all lead to questions that I wouldn't be able to answer without giving away too much information.

Kurumu raised an eyebrow, but seemed to accept the answer. Moka and Yukari, meanwhile, hesitantly stepped past me and gazed at the fallen Lizardmen. Finally, the vampire turned to me. "How did you guys find us?"

"Followed the trail of people who saw you," I answered shortly. "There were rumors of a couple of guys walking into the swamp with Yukari, so we put two and two together."

Moka blinked. "What?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, human idiom," I said with a wave of my hand. "Sorry. What's important is that we got here before either of you was hurt. Was anybody else out there with you guys?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head. "No, it was just Yukari and I, plus the Lizardmen."

"I'm going to guess that these are the same guys that were picking on Yukari earlier today," said Kurumu.

"They're the same people, yes," Yukari whispered before looking to me. She flinched slightly when I looked back. "Why? Why did you come here? Even if you say you don't hate me, there's no way you can like me after all that I did to you…"

I sighed. "Regardless of whether or not I like you, I couldn't just sit by after hearing the rumor of some guys walking off with you to the swamp. People don't get dragged off to a swamp for good things very often. Your life could have been in danger, and I couldn't just ignore that."

The witch girl looked to the ground. "So you're still angry with me…"

I momentarily shut my eyes and shook my head. "Yukari, I want you to listen to me." I paused before turning and looking at Moka. "And this goes for you too. You _both_ need to hear this. Many countries preach equality among humans—mine included—and while you and I may be of different species, Yukari, I still believe in that equality. So let's get this out of the way now: I don't hate you because you're a witch. I don't hate you at all."

I crossed my arms. "I was angry because your behavior was irresponsible. Look, I'm not going to pretend like I know what it's like to have my entire species discriminated against, nor am I going to say that I had it just as bad as you, but believe me when I say that I know what it's like to be alone and without friends. I was like that for a long time. But that doesn't excuse putting people in danger, and it most certainly doesn't excuse going so far as to take control of somebody's body. You can't go dropping basins on people's heads, you can't go attacking them with your magic or voodoo dolls or whatever because it's _wrong_."

The witch shifted. "I don't always do stuff like that," she whispered.

"But you've done it before, haven't you?" I asked plainly. "Your antics might eventually seriously hurt somebody, and while it might not seem likely in your eyes, being irresponsible always comes with a price. It just takes time. Not to mention that you put yourself in danger. _This_ ," I said, pointing to the Lizardmen. "This is exactly what I was afraid of: that you'd run into people who won't hesitate to use violence. I don't know if you angered them with your pranks or if they just hated witches, but students like these exist at this school, and not all of them are obvious or under watch. Sooner or later, you would have played a prank on someone like this—someone who would have fought right back, and wouldn't have hesitated to use lethal force."

Yukari sat still, presumably digesting what I had just said.

"And you," I continued, turning back to Moka. "I get that you wanted to help Yukari, but what you need to understand is that being a friend isn't always just about cheering someone up or being there for them. That might be a part of it, yes, but being a good friend also means stopping someone when they're doing something dangerous. By being so lenient with Yukari, you'll only make it harder for her to change later on because she'll get comfortable with getting away with all of this."

"But Peter," Moka replied. "She needed a friend! She was all alone and—"

"And you can still be her friend," I cut in. "But sometimes, that means saying 'no'. Sometimes, being a friend means you have to put your foot down, and refuse to go along with somebody's irresponsible behavior. Yukari's safety—as well as the safety of those around her—should take priority over her feelings. Plus, your own safety was on the line as well. You got involved in all this by associating with Yukari, so if she kept making enemies because of her pranks, you might have gotten caught in the crossfire again and again."

Moka slowly looked at the ground. A sniffle sounded off from Yukari a second later.

"Which means that I put Moka in danger by being near her," Yukari whispered, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "We could have died back there. If she didn't grab me and run when those three attacked, we would have been caught."

Moka gasped. "No, Yukari, don't think like that! I came here because I want to help you. Remember what I told you just a few minutes ago? I was just like you, and I want to be there for you. I'm not mad or anything, you didn't do any of this on purpose."

"I played those pranks on purpose," Yukari muttered.

"Then just stop," said Kurumu, causing all of us to turn to her. "I've heard what people say about you. More often than not, they're complaining about your pranks and the way you act, not the fact that you're a witch. If you stopped dropping basins on people or pulling down their skirts or whatever else it is you do, you might actually make some new friends."

The succubus stopped as a small smile found its way onto her face. "You know, a really smart guy once told me that, with great power comes great responsibility. My life has really been changing since I met this guy, and I genuinely believe that there is a lot of truth to those words of his."

I was grinning at that point, watching as Kurumu repeated the very words I had told her. Yukari, meanwhile, wiped a tear from her eye, but I could see a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "This guy of yours sounds like a very wise person," she said.

Kurumu giggled. "He is," she said before turning to look at me. "He's ranked first on the exams, after all."

It took roughly a second for Moka and Yukari to realize who Kurumu had been talking about. The vampire looked me up and down, while the witch ended up looking away in what seemed like guilt. We stayed that way, silently taking in the situation. Finally, I decided to speak.

"These guys aren't going to get themselves to the teachers," I said loud enough for everyone to hear. "And it won't do us any good to stay here. We should get going."

I saw Kurumu nod as she shuffled her wings. Moka moved to stand, but Yukari stayed still, which didn't go unnoticed. "What's wrong, Yukari?" asked Moka.

The witch sniffed. "You guys have each other," she said quietly. "Once we get back, you'll still be friends. Where do I go? Back to being alone?"

Kurumu and I paused, waiting to see who would answer out of all of us. Moka was the one who ended up replying.

"Yukari…how would you like to join the Newspaper Club?" asked Moka. "It's the club we joined."

The smaller girl gasped and looked up. "Y-you mean it? I can join you guys?" Moka smiled.

"I don't mind. Do you guys?" she asked, addressing us.

"We've got plenty of space," said Kurumu before looking at me. "And what about you?"

I hesitated for a second, remembering Yukari's attempt at controlling me and her other annoying pranks. The symbiote was also hesitant, but I remembered that I had given Kurumu a second chance when she showed capacity for change so…

So it was only fair to give Yukari the same treatment.

"You know," I began while turning away from the pile of Lizardmen to face Yukari completely. "I would be willing to start over. Without the pranks, that is, and without all this 'declaring war' business. I'm not going to fight over a girl. That would imply that I 'win' her at the end, and that's just wrong." I gave Moka a wink. "She's got the right to choose for herself, after all."

Yukari looked between the three of us, her eyes wide in disbelief. Slowly, they welled with tears, and the small girl broke out into sobbing.

Thankfully, they seemed to be sobs of joy.

 **A/N:** _I finally went back to the fight between Peter and Kurumu and added a more detailed explanation as to why Peter got a little more violent. I feel like an idiot for ignoring that for so long. Way to go Anti-Atom, making mistakes since Chapter 1._

 **Explanations/Clarifications.**

 **Adrenaline:** _Yes, I finally addressed it: the symbiote's hunger. Based on common information and a lot of remarks from reviewers, I decided that adrenaline would be one of the chemicals that the symbiote feeds off of (note that it's one of many, not the only one). How much exploration this topic will receive in the future is undetermined, but at least now there's some insight into how the symbiote works._

 **Yukari Hating Peter:** _In canon, Yukari hated Tsukune because he was unskilled and average, while Moka was the number one beauty of her grade. I know that, in some people's eyes, using the logic from canon would mean that Yukari would practically worship Peter, but where's the fun in that? It was shown that she wanted Moka for herself, so instead of having her hate Peter because of a lack of skill or something, I decided for her to see him as a love rival that needed to be taken out of the picture. She still understood and acknowledged his skills._

 **More Jokes:** _Some may have noticed that Peter has been making a few more jokes during his fights. This is sort of my way of showing his growing comfort with Yōkai Academy. He's treating it more like his home and less like a prison cell, so his mood is improving._

 **First Place:** _For those who may not be all that familiar with Spider-Man, I thought I'd point out that he is a genius. When it comes to school, he's at the very least as smart as Yukari, but given his age, he may very well be smarter. However, if both of them got 100% on everything, they'd still be tied for first._


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **SummerSpyder:** _Yes._

 **treyalexander63917:** _I'm not sure if I'll ever address the mystic side of Spidey's strength, seeing as I know so little about it. Interesting facts you have on Peter there, though. I never knew he could power up by using outside energy. I haven't read "The Other" yet, so those powers will have to stay sidelined until I have the chance. And don't worry, you don't sound like a know-it-all. Thanks for the suggestions!_

 **Pyromania101:** _Glad you liked it, and hope you enjoy this one too._

 **xbox432:** _Well…Mizore will definitely come, but not this chapter. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about her; she's too awesome to forget._

 **Remzal Von Enili:** _I'm not sure. For now, it's just Peter, but who knows?_

 **FrivolousThoughts:** _I replied to you with a PM because I was beginning to bloat the word count too much with the longer replies. If, for whatever reason, it didn't show up, let me know. Enjoy the chapter!_

 **SonicAnime2010:** _I agree, she is jailbait._

 **The society of dungeon cores:** _You're right, it is._

 **cody. a. c. smith:** _Huh, I might check that channel out, thanks. Yeah, I was never comfortable with Yukari as a love interest for anybody, so you won't see that kind of stuff here (except for her occasionally hitting on Moka). Funny, everybody seems hyped for Mizore lol. Oh well, all the more reason not to screw her up._

 **On Soaring Wings:** _Glad to hear that!_

 **Zeemz:** _I actually considered combining the two, but realized it wouldn't work for several reasons. Oh well, great minds think alike I suppose :) But don't worry, I plan on giving Kuyo his own chapter too._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thank you._

 **tdychko:** _It is canon, actually. Symbiotes feed off adrenaline and other substances._

 **Laxard:** _I think I get what you're talking about. I might have met girls like that in my life too. Thank you for sharing that though, it was genuinely interesting to see someone else's view on the matter. I, personally, don't think that Peter got his super strength through exercise alone, because he has the proportional strength of a spider, doesn't he? That's from the altered DNA, if I'm not mistaken. And a HUGE thanks to you for the adrenaline potion suggestion. You may have just solved a problem I was facing with the timeline._

 **Epsilon Vindicare:** _The life lessons aren't really intentional—they're just things that I think this Peter would say to characters like Kurumu and Yukari. As for Venom…you'll have to wait and see…_

 **Thresher26:** _Huh, I never knew that. But I think I can incorporate it into the symbiote's backstory a bit, so thanks for the idea! I wouldn't say it 'loves' him, but it's definitely attached to him (badum-tss…). But seriously, it is attached to him emotionally (not romantically though)._

 **Arachnophile801:** _Alright, just let me know it's you if you leave a review under a different name. Glad to hear you enjoyed the more comedic nature of Yukari's entrance. It was weird to write, I'll tell you that. And yeah, I know she was doing more than just hugging, but Peter only barely noticed, so he just assumed she was hugging. Not sure what a boke is, but I hope their interactions live up to your hopes. Yeah, I know that bullying is a sadly common thing in modern society, particularly in schools. It sucks, but it's there—just another problem to overcome through means we haven't realized yet. DC doesn't really have a place in this story, as the quip was kind of a fourth-wall break in its own way. I found it kinda funny, so I threw it in. The amazing friends thing was a little shout-out to the old Spidey show from a while back (never saw that one, but I knew it existed). As for "Hero Speeches", I try to keep them to a minimum, but we all know Peter; if he thinks he can get someone to change his/her messed up ways, he'll try it. But don't worry, I don't plan on making girls stick to him because of the speeches themselves. Sorry for the melodramatic ending, but I will point out that the comedy of the first half or so was Yukari's way of covering up deep emotional pain (that seems to be a fairly common defense used by the depressed). Peter and Kurumu actually had their fight in Chapter 5 (Chapter 2 was Saizou). Maybe it's just me noticing a few details as the writer, seeing as I'm trying to have Peter say a few more jokes now (the quality can probably be attributed to me as a writer; I have a weird sense of humor). And yeah, I know about the chocolate, don't worry. Not sure if I'll address it in this story though._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _I'm not sure if I'll cover them, but I might. Just not this chapter._

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE:** _This is another chapter that follows the storyline of the manga. The big difference here is that you guys are going to meet a character that never made it into the anime, so this entire arc was only in the manga. So just to be clear, this is still based on a CANON ARC. Also, please read the Explanations/Clarifications section. This chapter might not make total sense without knowledge of the manga, so I included entries in the bottom to clarify things. Seriously, read it, even if you have read the manga._

 **READ THAT NOTICE. JUST DO IT. PLEASE.**

 **-Chapter 13: Kurumu Interlude-**

I watched him as he worked, placing his pictures in neat rows in front of him. He didn't seem to notice me looking, which was fine by me, all things considered. It would be weird if he looked up and found me staring.

But it was just so strange! Every once in a while, I'd stop and marvel at just how _different_ he was. I never forgot how I first met him. All the other boys I met always, _always_ told me I was pretty or compliment me in one way or another. Then, if they weren't hitting on me, they'd just stare and giggle.

But not him. When he first saw me, he just smiled, gave me the smallest nod I had ever seen, and went right back to his business. That was _never_ normal when you were a succubus. Guys didn't just brush you off like he did to me that day. Even if I wasn't trying to seduce him when he first saw me, he just…didn't care. He looked at me, saw me, greeted me, and then went right back to his life. He never turned back.

And that probably played a part in why I had targeted him, all those weeks ago. Yes, I thought he was Moka's boyfriend, yes, he was a healthy male, but more than anything, I thought that he was just interesting. I knew then he was different, and I know now that he was nothing like the other people I had met in my life.

I still thought that he was interesting. I didn't view him in the same light as before, but I still found him undeniably unique.

I guess Peter just had that effect on me, even when he was doing something completely normal.

Like working to catch up on a newspaper issue that we were falling behind on.

I leaned back in my chair, yawning and stretching my arms. "Man, I can't stand this," I muttered. "It's Saturday and we're all packed in here."

"All part of the job," Yukari said from her seat behind me. "The Yōkai Gazette won't write itself."

"Would be nice if it did," said Peter while sorting through the pictures he took. "Anybody seen the picture of the forest? I can't find it."

"Oh, sorry," said Moka. "I was taking a look at it. Here, I have it." I watched her pause while she handed the photo to Peter. "You know, you've got a real talent for photography, Peter."

He did. I had seen his photos. They looked very professional.

"Thank you," replied Peter. "I try."

I looked back to my work—an article on fashion in the human world. The four of us currently sat in our clubroom, working on the latest issue of our newspaper. The problem was that we were only about halfway done, and the deadline was the day after tomorrow. And because of that, we were spending our Saturday working overtime instead of hanging out like usual.

"I'm kinda wishing that Ginei was here," said Yukari. "I get that you guys had that big pervert thing with him, but an extra set of hands would be really helpful right about now."

Right, Gin still wasn't back to the Newspaper Club. The teachers had told us that Gin was scheduled to come back to the club on Monday, so we would have to make do without him. I knew that Moka was a bit concerned about Gin, but after hearing about how he was losing control under the light of the full moon, she became less worried about him coming back.

I, personally, was okay with him returning, as long as he didn't do anything dirty like last time.

Suddenly, the door to our clubroom opened, and Miss Nekonome's head poked into the room. "Hello!" she sang. "I brought snacks!"

"Thank heavens," whispered Peter. "I'm starving." I giggled.

"Is everybody working hard?" asked Miss Nekonome.

"There's a lot to do," Moka answered for us. "But we're getting through it!"

"Wonderful! Is anybody hungry?"

"I'll have something," Peter said raising his hand. The teacher walked over to him, reached into her bag, and…put a fish in his hands.

"Um, this is raw," said Peter. He looked very uncomfortable.

"Yup, it tastes better that way!"

I couldn't help but laugh at Peter's dumbfounded expression. "I, uh, can't digest raw fish," he said while returning it to Miss Nekonome. "Sorry."

"Oh dear, I didn't think of that, did I? Oh well, does anybody else want a fish?"

"Um, I'll pass," said Moka.

"I can't eat raw fish," Yukari replied.

"Sorry," I said with a shrug. "Raw fish isn't really my thing."

Miss Nekonome pouted. "Oh, oh well. By the way, Kurumu, dear, this letter was dropped off in front of the classroom."

I blinked as Miss Nekonome handed me an envelope. A letter? For me? And from who?

"Well, keep working hard everybody," said Miss Nekonome as she left. I kept looking at the letter that she had given me.

 _'To my beloved Kurumu'_

Whoa, a love letter? Now? There was a name at the bottom of the envelope: Nagare. Huh, I had no clue who that was. I opened the envelope to find—

 _What the hell?!_

There were at least seven photos in the envelope, and each one had a picture of me! And I was half naked in _four_ of those photos, while the others were perverted shots of me from behind or something!

I shoved the photos back in before anybody could see. There was a note card in there too, and I pulled it out the second I saw it.

 _'If you don't want these pictures to become public, come alone to the "Monster Tree" in the main schoolyard.'_

This wasn't a love letter, it was blackmail! Crap, what should I do?! I didn't want to show the others these photos, it was humiliating! And if they found out, this freak might send the photos out to other people! I didn't want pictures of me in my underwear all over the school!

"Kurumu, everything alright?" asked Peter.

I froze. "I'm, uh, fine," I lied. "Just…give me a minute."

What was I supposed to do? I couldn't go to the tree because I had to stick by Peter, but the letter said to come alone. I _couldn't_ come alone. But I _had_ to come alone, otherwise there'd be dirty pictures of me floating all around campus.

I didn't have any pockets, so I shoved the envelope, along with the photos and letter inside it, into the Newspaper Club's toolbox before anybody could see it. I gulped. I needed to get to that tree before this 'Nagare' creep decided that I wasn't coming.

Which meant that I had to give Peter an excuse to leave me at the dorm where he wasn't required to watch me.

"Um, guys?" I said slowly. "I'm not feeling too well all of a sudden. I think I should go get some rest."

The others looked up at me. "Not feeling well?" Peter asked. "You coming down with something?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm just really tired…can you please take me back to my dorm?"

I felt bad lying to him. After all that Peter had done, after all the kindness he showed me, I repay him by lying to his face.

 _I'm sorry Peter…_

"I guess I'll walk you back," he said with a frown before turning to Moka and Yukari. "I'll be right back guys, just give me a minute to get Kurumu to her dorm."

He opened the door for me and led me out. We walked mostly in silence, and when we reached the girls' dorm, Peter turned to me. "Well, I hope you feel better. Should I come pick you up tomorrow, or do you want me to send Moka to check up on you in the morning?"

"Uh, I think I should be fine by then," I said. "Just pick me up tomorrow morning like usual."

"Got it," he said with a wave while turning around. "Get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow." I waved right back as he walked away, watching him disappear into the main school building. I swallowed and turned around.

I had to go to the Monster Tree and meet up with this 'Nagare' now.

Taking a breath, I began walking to the tree in question. It felt weird to be alone like this, mostly because I had spent the last couple weeks around Peter and the others. Going outside while all alone like this felt odd now.

I ignored the feeling, however, and kept moving until I was in an empty area with one large tree not far in front of me. It was an old tree, and it honestly looked like some sort of monster because of how twisted the roots were. It was no wonder they called it the "Monster Tree". When I walked up to it, I heard somebody chuckling.

"About time," said a voice above me. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show up."

There was a boy in the tree. His long hair covered almost half his face, and there was a camera hanging from his neck. That, and from where I stood, it looked like he was covered in layers of sweat. What was with this guy?

"Are you Nagare?" I asked angrily. Just by looked at him I could feel the heat in my face knowing that he had such dirty pictures of me.

"Why yes, I am Nagare!" he said while climbing out of the tree. "Did you like those pictures I sent? I sure did."

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want?"

"You don't remember me?" he asked.

"Remember…you?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten?" The boy frowned. "On the first day of school, I called you beautiful and took your picture. You asked if I thought you were prettier than Moka Akashiya, and told me that, if I took a good picture of you, you'd let me go out with you."

I felt a pang of regret when I heard that. As pathetic as that sounded, it might have been something I would have done back then, back when I was obsessed with beating Moka, back before I met Peter and the others.

"Well, since you never held up your end of the deal," Nagare continued. "I thought I'd give you some more…incentive to come out and play."

I glared at him. "So you just want me to go on this date with you?"

"Of course! It's what you promised, after all!"

I didn't want to do it, but I couldn't let those pictures of me get out. "Fine, fine, let's just—"

"Awesome! Alright, change into your gym clothes!"

I blinked. "My…gym clothes? Why would I need to wear gym clothes?"

"It's a pretend photo shoot!" he answered.

A photo shoot?! "H-hey, this isn't what I meant by a date!" This guy couldn't be serious! He wanted to take _more_ pictures of me?! "Don't be a perv—"

"A pervert? Is that what you were going to call me?" asked Nagare. "Kurumu, I don't think you should be talking to me like that. After all, I'm very good at finding out what a girl's secrets are. I wonder how your friends react if I told them all your deepest, darkest secrets?"

I gasped. How much did he know about me? What could he reveal? "W-what are you talking about?" I asked frantically. "How much do you know about me?"

Nagare grinned. "A lot! A lot more than you think too. For example…" He leaned in, whispering in my ear. I felt my heart rate quicken when I heard him.

"How?! You per—ugh! How did you find out those things?!"

He just kept grinning. "I told you, I'm good at finding out what a girl's secrets are!"

I glared at him, wondering how far he was willing to take this, and how far I'd have to go to stop him. I sighed. It seemed I had to just go with his creepy idea of a date …

"Alright, fine," I muttered. "I'll go get dressed…"

"Awesome!"

I did as he asked. I went back and got my gym clothes, changed into them, and then returned. Nagare went crazy with taking pictures from every angle, some more than once. Finally, he finished. "Phew, that was a good run!" he said while brushing some hair away from his face.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "So we're done?"

"Nope! I've got another outfit for you!"

" _What_?!" I shouted, jerking up to see him pulling a maid outfit—a _maid outfit!_ —out of his bag.

"Here you go! Just put this on and we'll keep going!"

"Nagare, you're taking this too far!"

I regretted it the moment I said it. Nagare narrowed his eyes at me for a second before a large smile appeared on his face. "Too far? Kurumu, I have those pictures, remember? Whatever I say goes."

"But—"

"Or would you rather the whole school gets an eyeful of your underwear?" he asked, grinning at me. I swallowed at the thought of an entire school seeing me half-naked. It was _humiliating!_ And then what would the others think? What would the teachers think? They might think I went off to take pervy pictures with this guy and decide that I learned nothing from Peter. Plus, I was breaking the first rule I had been told when Peter became my guardian: stay within his sight.

I shook my head. This felt like my past coming back to bite me. All that time I spent basking in all the attention I got from boys…I never knew what it meant to have a real friend. And in my obsession to beat Moka, I had let _this_ guy turn me into his 'date'. I knew now that the way I acted back then wasn't right, especially since I played off the fact that boys flocked to me and used them to my advantage.

I had to get through this.

"…fine," I muttered. "Give me the dress."

"I knew you'd see it my way!" shouted Nagare, all but shoving the maid outfit into my arms.

It was just like last time. I got dressed, came back, and Nagare would take dozens upon dozens of pictures of me. When he finally finished, he stepped back, staring at all his new photos with a dirty grin on his face.

"Oooh, I _like_ these!"

I clenched my fists. My friends were working on our newspaper, and I was out here with this creep. They were together, working but still having fun, while I was out here, paying for past mistakes.

 _Just bear with it, it's almost over. Soon, this date will be done, and I can forget that this guy ever existed, and move on with my new life._

Nagare laughed to himself as he put the photos in his pocket before looking up at me. "Well then, how about we move on to the next outfit?"

" _Next outfit?!_ There's _more?!_ "

"Of course!"

I groaned. How much clothing did this guy bring with him? "Just how long until I can go?" I asked tiredly.

"Until we're done going through the outfits!"

"And how many outfits are there?" I asked.

"Including the two you've tried, twelve. Isn't that great?"

Twelve?! He had _twelve_ outfits ready for me?! I was going to be here all day!

"Nagare, that's way too much!" I shouted. "I can't stay here the whole day!"

"Can't?" he asked slowly. "Or won't? Kurumu, you don't have a choice here. I mean, you can go, sure, but those pictures will be everywhere by tomorrow. But if you stay, on the other hand, those pictures don't have to go anywhere."

I sighed. If I wanted to get this out of the way, it seemed that I would just have to do as he said. If this really was some sort of punishment for how I had acted in the past, then I'd just have to take it like a woman.

"Will this take long?" I asked weakly.

"Not at all!"

That was a lie. Several hours later, I looked back and realized just how big of a lie it was. I completely lost track of time, but when Nagare finally let me go, it was getting dark. And to make matters worse, I couldn't just go to my dorm. I had left the letter Nagare had sent, along with the pictures in our clubroom and now I needed to get them back.

More than once on the way there, I had to hide to avoid a teacher. Few people knew that Peter was actually my guardian, but the teachers already knew. Letting them see me without Peter around would get both of us in trouble, and I had no intention of letting Peter suffer for my mistakes.

I eventually got to the empty clubroom. The others had left, their unfinished work neatly stored away with the rest of our stuff in the back of the classroom. The toolbox had been moved there too, to give other groups space for their projects, and I went over to it to grab the letter that I had shoved in there. "Come on, come on, where are you?" I mumbled while searching through the box.

"We sure had fun today, didn't we, Kurumu?"

I jumped and whirled around, only to find Nagare standing in the doorway. "Let's have some more fun tomorrow, okay?"

"What?! There is no tomorrow, the date was only for today!" I shouted. "We're done! No more pervy outfits and no more pictures!"

"Such a cold tone you're using…you know, maybe I should show the pictures we took today to your friends?" asked Nagare. "Can't wait to see how that Parker guy reacts when he sees you posing for the camera while wearing a maid costume…"

No! This wasn't going to happen! I wasn't going to let this guy steal another day from me! I wasn't going to let him drag me out there while my friends worked nonstop to finish a newspaper issue without me!

"I—no! No! I'm not doing that again!" I yelled. "Stop following me!"

I ran out of the room after that. I couldn't stand to look at that—that _pervert_ any longer! I wasn't going to let him do this to me!

I was tired. Spending hours with Nagare had been painful, and I needed sleep. Walking to my dorm felt like walking through peanut butter. It was slow, tiring, and difficult. Thankfully, I got there without a problem. I didn't bother showering, brushing my teeth, or doing anything after getting back. I just fell into my bed and shut my eyes.

Sleep came almost instantly. After the day I had, falling into bed and forgetting about my problems for several hours felt like a dream come true. But I woke up the next morning with a headache and with almost no energy. The 'date' from yesterday had really taken its toll.

I didn't know how long I stayed in bed after waking up, but eventually, somebody knocked on my door. I didn't answer at first, but the knocking didn't stop, so I finally got out of bed and walked to the door. When I opened it, I found what looked to be the girl from across the hall standing there.

"That guy you always meet up with is in front of the girls' dorm," she said plainly. "He's asking for you. Wants to know if you're up to working on the newspaper with him and the rest of your club."

I blinked.

 _Oh right, it's Sunday. No school._

"Uh, I'll go meet him," I said almost automatically.

"He's waiting for you outside."

The girl left and I got ready to leave, smoothing out my clothes and quickly brushing my hair. Contrary to what many girls in my grade believed, I didn't take hours to get ready like some people did. A succubus' beauty was natural, after all. I eventually left my room and went downstairs and outside, where I found Peter waiting for me, right in our usual spot.

I felt a pang of guilt as he waved at me, remembering that I had lied to him yesterday to get some time to deal with Nagare. I still tried to greet him with a smile when I approached, which was made easier since I was genuinely glad to see him again.

"Hey Kurumu," he said. "How do you feel?"

"Um, I'm alright," I lied. I was nervous, frustrated, embarrassed, and depressed. All because of one perverted creep and his photos.

Peter smiled. "Glad to hear you're feeling better. So, you up for newspaper work? We haven't finished the issue we were working on yesterday."

"S-sure," I replied.

Peter gave me a funny look. "You sure you're alright?"

I gave him the best smile I could muster. "I'm fine. Now come on, we've got a newspaper to finish, don't we?"

"Well…if you're sure, then let's go, I guess," said Peter while he gestured towards the main school building, where our clubroom was at. "Come on then, the others are already there."

I nodded dumbly. The walk there didn't take long, but when we got there, the first thing we saw was a panicked-looking Moka and Yukari. They both looked back to us, and ran over instantly. "Guys!" shouted Moka. "The newspapers are gone!"

I blinked. What?

"Huh?" said Peter. "What do you mean gone? They were moved?"

"No, they were stolen!" said Yukari. "We thought they were just moved at first too, but the data on my computer, as well as the backup disk, is gone too! Literally everything we had for our latest issue is missing! And get this: there's slime all over the desk where we left our stuff and all over my keyboard!"

I froze. The newspapers, _our_ newspapers, were stolen? And the disk where Yukari stored all her stuff? And with the slime everywhere…

Nagare.

Of course! He was the only one here besides me last night! And he always looked like he was sweating or something, which would explain the 'slime'!

 _That's his plan! He's going to blackmail me using our club's project! The newspapers we spent days working on, and now they're in the hands of that…that jerk!_

My fists clenched. Nagare had gone too far. Blackmailing me was one thing, but using the work of my friends to do it?! We all spent days working on that newspaper, and this guy had the…the _nerve_ to steal it to get me to let him take pictures of me in his dirty outfits?!

That newspaper was ours. It was something we had all created, together, as _friends_. That newspaper was the first thing that I had created after changing my ways. It was the first thing I had ever created with real friends.

It was something I treasured, and now Nagare was taking that away from me so that he could take dirty pictures of me!

And all this because I had been so _utterly stupid_ in my attempt to beat Moka! If I hadn't been so vain and selfish back then, I never would have promised Nagare that date! And now he had those pictures of me, the pictures he took of me yesterday, and our newspaper, along with Yukari's disk!

Our newspaper was now in the hands of some freak, all because of me. All that hard work, all that effort, and it was on the verge of being destroyed. This was my fault, all of it. This was my problem, my mistake. I couldn't let the others pay for it by letting their work get destroyed. I had to stop Nagare.

There was no telling what he'd do if I told the others, but I doubted that it would be good. Last time, he told me to come alone. If I came with the others, Nagare would not be happy, which meant the newspaper drafts would be in all the more danger. Plus, those photos he took of me could get out if he wanted them to. Why he didn't send them already, I didn't know, but if that could be avoided…

I had to face this guy alone. If I showed up with the others, he'd realize that they knew instantly, and the newspapers would be burned, and he'd probably run off with those pictures. And getting the others involved would put them in danger too. Nagare had targeted me; there was no reason he wouldn't target Moka or Yukari. Plus…

I was scared of how they might react. I had once poisoned Moka and broken into Peter's mind. I had wronged both of them. And now my selfish actions from before were coming back to bite me, and it was affecting my friends too.

I had to get everything back. I was responsible…so I would take responsibility for my actions.

"Guys," I said slowly. "I'm really sorry, but I need to skip today too."

All three of them whirled to face me. "What?" asked Peter. "But you just said—"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm feeling sick again…"

 _I'm sorry guys. I'll make this up to you; I'll get our drafts back!_

"But Kurumu," Moka whispered. "We were robbed. We need to find a way to meet our deadline…" Her eyes were wide with confusion and hurt. "And this is the second time you're leaving. Don't you—don't you care?"

Of course I cared!

"I'm sorry," I whispered, shutting my eyes. "I just need to go. I'll help as soon as I can, I promise."

I _would_ help. I'd get our drafts back and correct my mistake. My friends would not be the ones to pay for it.

They looked at me before looking at each other. Finally, Peter stepped forward. "Why don't I take you to the nurse? Maybe you should get a checkup."

I shook my head. "I'm just—just please take me to my dorm."

He gave me a concerned look. Several seconds passed before he nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll get you to your dorm," he said quietly before turning to the others. "I'll be back soon, and then we'll figure out what to do. See if you can find anything to help figure out who stole the papers."

I swallowed nervously and allowed Peter to lead me out. Moka and Yukari watched us as we left. He walked me to the girls' dorm, just like yesterday, and when we got there, he turned to me. "Get better, okay?" he said, giving me a small smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder. "The Newspaper Club's just not the same without you, you know?"

I felt my eyes get a little wet. He was so concerned, and yet my actions were the ones getting his work destroyed. Nagare wouldn't have found the drafts if I hadn't led him to them, heck, he never would have bothered us if I hadn't stupidly told him that I'd let him date me if he got a good picture of me.

"Peter," I said awkwardly. "Thanks for everything. I—I really appreciate it…"

He gave me a confused look before smiling. "Don't mention it. What are friends for?" He gave me a wave over his shoulder as he turned to leave. "Now get some rest. We'll figure something out for the deadline."

I watched him leave, sniffing slightly. It was so strange, to be treated like this by a boy. I was so used to being pampered by them, but he wasn't like that; Peter was the guy who had crashed into my life and changed it, all in one day.

He was the boy that taught me that with great power came great responsibility.

 _I won't let you guys down. I'll stop Nagare and get those drafts back, and he won't ever threaten us again._

With Peter gone, I ran as fast as I could manage to the Monster Tree. I knew Nagare would be there. It was the only place that I could think of, and it was the same place he had forced me to find him at last time. If he wasn't there, I was never going to find him.

It only took a few minutes to get to that tree. When I approached it, I looked up, remembering how Nagare greeted me last time. Sure enough, he sat in the branches, grinning as he waved a stack of newspapers and a disk around, as he waved _our_ newspapers around.

"So, you did come," he said. "I had a feeling you would. I suppose you're looking for these?"

I glared up at him.

"You know, this paper is pretty boring," he continued, frowning as he looked at the Yōkai Gazette. "The writing is childish, and don't you think that I'd make for a better photographer than the idiot who took these pictures?"

I felt my fists ball. _Peter_ had taken those pictures. I was there when he did it. He had looked so happy, so carefree. He was enjoying himself when he was taking those pictures. He even let me try to use his camera.

And this…this _freak_ thought that _he_ could do better?

"Those photos," I growled, unable to control myself. "Were taken by someone very special to me. That entire newspaper was made by people that are very special to me, and it means a lot to both them and me."

Nagare's grin widened. "Exactly. So unless you do what I say, these papers are getting burned," he mocked, holding up a lighter to our drafts. "So, what're you gonna do, huh? What're you gonna do?"

"…hand them over," I hissed. "Those papers are precious to me. I'll never forgive you for what you've done, and I'm not going to be some model for you to use to fulfill your sick fantasies."

I stiffened when I realized I was losing my temper. If I wasn't careful, Nagare would—

The newspapers fell to the ground. I gasped when Nagare let go of them, an astonished look on his face. "You're going to defy me?" he asked in shock. His lips pulled back in a snarl. " _Fine_ , have it your way. I didn't want to do this, but I've got a trump card to play." He stood up on his branch, the twisted grin returning to his face. "I'm a monster too you know, I don't have to rely on crap like this," he said, throwing aside the lighter he had been holding.

He craned his neck as a tube suddenly sprouted from it, and then from the other side. Some sort of steam started rising out of both tubes while Nagare's arms began growing and changing. I stepped back as he jumped out of the tree, landing with a heavy thud. I yelped as his arm shot out, grabbing me by the _breast_ of all things!

I scrambled back and out of his grasp while he let out a sick giggle. "Soft," he commented.

I tried to move out of the way as he crept closer, but I was moving so _slowly_.

 _What's happening?! Why can't I—?!_

The tubes! My eyes widened when I looked to the strange growths on Nagare's neck and the 'steam' that came from them. That 'steam' must have been some sort of poisonous gas!

 _Don't inhale! I have to get out of here and buy time!_

I kept backing up until my back hit a wall. Turning around, I saw that I had backed up into the gym storeroom. I threw the door open and bolted inside, shutting and locking it behind me. I slid down against the door, gasping for air before extending my nails and letting my tail sprout from my backside.

"I'm not going to lose," I muttered to myself. "I won't get beaten by some creep like him!"

"Aww, so cute," cooed a sick voice from behind the door. "Hiding in the storeroom. Am I invited?"

I looked down when I felt something brush against my leg and screamed when a stalk eye rose from under the door. I scrambled back as a yellowish blob slithered in through the small crack between the bottom of the door and the ground.

"Silly Kurumu," it said. "A madslug can squeeze through the tiniest of holes."

It was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen. Nagare had turned into what looked like a giant slug with a gaping mouth, filled with broken teeth. He grinned at me as he slithered in, prompting me to backpedal further away.

"What the hell?!" I shouted. "What's up with your body?!"

"Nice huh?" he chuckled. "Madslugs are good at getting into places where people think they're safe. How do you think I found out all of the other girls' secrets? They never suspect someone to peep on them when they're behind locked doors."

"The 'other girls'?" I asked weakly. "You've done this to others?"

I received a grin and a nod in return. I shivered. "How many?" I whispered. "How many innocent girls have you done this to?"

"You know," he said, holding up his mutated, deformed hand. "I lost count. But you're definitely the hottest."

I gritted my teeth. Innocent girls were harmed by this guy. Innocent people were suffering at his hands. This was the kind of person Peter stood against. It was the kind of behavior he had warned _me_ against; it was how he made me wake up and see what I was doing wrong. What would Peter do here?

He'd stop Nagare. He'd stop this monster from tormenting more people.

And that was what _I_ would do. If only I could get up!

Nagare kept pumping his toxic gas into the room as he slithered closer. "This is what happens when you defy me," he mocked. "You get—"

He paused as we heard somebody banging on the door. "Kurumu!"

 _Moka?!_

"Kurumu are you in there?!"

Nagare grinned as he looked between me and the door. He gave me a sick wink before he began sliding to the door.

"Moka _run_!" I shrieked.

Nagare moved faster than I thought possible for a giant slug. He threw the door open, revealing a surprised Moka. She froze upon seeing him before scrambling back, screaming in terror.

 _NO! Not Moka!_

Something dark landed in front of Moka, pushing her back and stepping up to meet Nagare. The figure's head abruptly snapped to me, and I met its massive white eyes.

Peter.

It was hard to tell what he was thinking, given that his only facial features were those giant eyes, but they seemed to widen. His head jerked from me to the advancing, cackling madslug.

"Just run!" I shouted, still barely able to move from the gas. "Don't inhale, he'll—"

Peter tackled Nagare. He dashed forward, throwing himself against the madslug, and both of them came flying back into the room. And while Nagare was several times larger than Peter in his monster form, he was still no match for Peter's raw strength. Nagare grunted as he landed on his back, and Peter ended up on top of him, pinning him down and rapidly shooting webs at him.

"Go, get out!" he shouted to me, entirely unaware that I was almost completely paralyzed. I tried to tell him, to warn him, but it was too late. I watched in horror as Peter's quick, precise movements began slowing drastically. Suddenly, he was slumping over, his arms beginning to dangle uselessly at his sides.

Nagare let out a loud laugh. " _Moron!_ " he jeered. "Who the hell tackles a madslug? You just sealed your own fate, loser!"

The gas! Peter didn't know about the gas! He was inhaling almost nothing _but_ that stuff while so close to Nagare! Before any of us could react, Nagare reached out, his fist closing around Peter's neck. He made a gurgling sound as the madslug began choking him while rising to its feet, easily sliding out of the webs Peter had trapped it under.

"Peter!" both Moka and I shouted. Part of Peter's skin—or whatever that black stuff was—shot out, grabbing Nagare's limbs and stalk eye. He grunted in surprise as he squirmed out of its grasp with his practically-liquid body, but it persisted, grabbing and shoving Nagare while wrapping around his arm and trying to force it off Peter.

The way it moved while Peter tried to struggle…it was almost like that black stuff had a mind of its own.

It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like it took hours. Peter was almost completely still now, but the black webs—or whatever they were—kept attacking Nagare, but it couldn't harm someone whose body was basically a giant pile of moving goo.

Suddenly, Peter's hand shot out. "Wait!" he croaked. I watched in confusion as several tendrils of that black stuff formed into what looked like some sort of blade and drove itself into Nagare's shoulder. He only frowned as it sunk harmlessly into him.

"Well that was dumb," he muttered as he completely ignored Peter and began sliding out the door. "You know, Moka," he began. "I was thinking of making you my next target, but now I get to have you _and_ Kurumu at the same time, all while killing this foreigner puke!"

I gasped. Some of Nagare's tendrils wrapped around Moka's leg, dragging her closer to him while his fist seemed to tighten around Peter's throat. Peter himself had gone limp, weakened by both the gas and the fingers around his neck, while that black stuff desperately tried to free him by repeatedly attacking Nagare's arm and prying at his fingers.

He was going to kill him. Nagare was going to rape Moka and me, and he was going to kill Peter.

My first friends…no…

I pushed. I pushed harder than I ever had in my life as I forced myself to stand.

 _Move damn it, MOVE! I won't let them die, I WON'T!_

I felt something. My magic—not the magic of my charm, but some other form—I _felt_ it. It coursed through me, and I looked up at Nagare's laughing form as he lifted a screaming Moka off the ground.

"Don't you dare…" I hissed.

Nagare grabbed Moka's other leg. Peter looked like he had stopped breathing.

"DON'T YOU DARE!"

I shot forward, slamming both feet into Nagare's head. He tumbled forward, losing both his grip on Moka and on Peter.

"DON'T TOUCH MY FRIENDS!" I roared, slashing my claws across Nagare's chest. I felt the magic leave me in a burst, while Nagare shouted in pain.

"What the?!" he gasped, looking past me. "The tree?! The tree is attacking?!"

A tree's root shot past me, wrapping around Nagare's neck and holding him down. I slammed into him again, my foot crashing against his jaw. There was no crack, no sound of bone breaking, but I watched as several teeth fell out of his mouth. He stumbled away, falling on his back in a clumsy manner. I jumped on top of him, grabbing him by the neck as I pulled my other hand back and…

And stopped. Nagare was unconscious. I panted heavily, sweating as I looked down at him. I was ready to pummel him until there was nothing left. I was ready to make him pay but…I slowly lowered my hand.

 _He's done…beaten. I shouldn't take this any further. It's not what Peter taught me._

I gasped at the thought, whirling around to find Moka staring at me in awe while she held Peter's head in her lap. I rushed over, eyes widening. "Moka, Peter! Are you guys alright!"

"I'm—I'm fine," Moka said shakily. "But Peter…"

Oh no. No, no, no…

"Peter," I said frantically as I kneeled next to him. "Peter, don't you dare die on me!"

He didn't respond.

 _Please, please be alright!_

I bent over, placing my head on his chest. I could hear the steady beat of his heart, which meant that he was at least still alive. I leaned away, looking down at him, and wondering just what Moka and I could do.

" _ **He'll live."**_

Moka and I both jerked at the sound of that voice. _**"That creature is a madslug. The gas it produces will paralyze those who inhale it, but when you couple that with the fact that he was being choked, it only makes sense that Peter would fall unconscious."**_

"So," began the outer Moka. "He's going to be alright? He'll wake up? You're sure?"

" _ **Yes. Just give it time. He might be up within the next few minutes if we're lucky. There's not much you can do for him. Just wait for his body to recover."**_

I sat back, sighing in relief. "Thank heavens," I whispered. If he had died, I didn't know what I would have done.

The outer Moka looked down at Peter for several more seconds before turning to look at Nagare. "Kurumu, that was incredible," she breathed. I looked back at the disgusting slug that had started all this. I remembered the magic that flowed through me, I remembered it leaving me.

I remembered the illusion I had cast without thinking.

"I…I never knew that I could do that," I mumbled.

" _ **It has been said that few can,"**_ commented Moka's other half. _**"It would seem that your anger drew out your power. I do not know much about the succubus species, but I'm well aware that the power to cast illusions, such as the one you just did, is not common among your kind."**_

I only shook my head at the thought. What kind of magic did I have? Could I still use it? Why wasn't it sealed like my charm ability?

"Kurumu," Moka said quietly, interrupting my train of thought. "I wanted to say that…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for saying those things to you, back in the clubroom. I didn't know what you were going through."

I smiled at her. "It's okay."

Moka sighed. "No, it's not. It was wrong of me. I…I'm—"

"Moka," I cut in. "It's _fine_. I'm not holding anything against you. We're friends. I'm not angry."

The vampire gave me a small smile in return. "Thank you, Kurumu."

I grinned right back. "What's important is that you and Peter are safe, and the newspapers are good to go too."

Moka blinked. "The papers?"

"Uh, yeah? You know, the ones Nagare stole," I said, frowning. "Didn't you know?"

"No! We only—that is, we came because Yukari found the letter in the club's toolbox! We completely forgot about the papers when we found out what was going on with you and Nagare!"

"Huh," I said slowly. I wasn't expecting this. I had even completely forgotten about the letter that I had left in the clubroom.

Moka, meanwhile, continued. "When we found the letter, we all freaked out. We dropped the whole 'missing drafts' deal and came looking for you. Yukari went to your dorm to see if you were there, while Peter and I rushed here. We heard your voice from inside the storeroom, and well… you know the rest."

I turned to look at the stack of unharmed drafts that sat by the Monster Tree. "So…you weren't worried about the drafts?"

I heard a weak chuckle from below me. Moka and I whirled to see Peter—in his human form—looking back up at me. "We stopped worrying about the drafts when we found out you were being blackmailed."

"You're awake!" shouted Moka. "Are you alright?!"

"Tired and a little creeped out," he groaned. "But other than that, I'd say I'm fine." A small smiled passed over his face. "Just before I passed out, though, I saw you take action, Kurumu. I didn't see what happened after you kicked Nagare that first time but…"

He paused and swallowed. "I think you just saved my life…thank you."

I felt my face grow a little heated as I smiled at him. "Well, what are friends for?"

He chuckled. "Right. If you can't count on a friend to save you from a crazy slug monster, then what kind of a friend are they?"

Moka and I giggled at his words before his expression turned serious and he looked at Nagare. "We should get him to the infirmary. He might need medical attention, for all we know."

I paused. "You know, Peter, you should also see a nurse, just in case."

"Huh?" He asked before blinking. "You know, that may be a good idea." He tried to get to his feet, but immediately stumbled. I shot forward, grabbing and supporting him before he could fall again.

"Easy there," I mumbled. "I don't think you should go around walking just yet." I slowly lifted him, letting him lean on me. It was strange to see him so vulnerable and weakened. He was always strong, always walking with his head held high, ready to face the world. And now here he was, lying in my arms, barely able to stand.

"Here, I'll get you to the infirmary," I said, gently grabbing him under his armpits. "I'll fly you there."

"What about me?" asked Moka, frowning as she watched my wings appear and unfold. I blinked when I realized that I couldn't carry both her and Peter.

"Hey," Peter muttered. "Why don't we leave the inner Moka to guard Nagare until Kurumu can get the teachers? Just drop me off at the infirmary and then tell the teachers what happened."

"Well…that's fine with me," I said slowly. "Moka?"

The vampire fidgeted before sighing. "Fine, I guess it's alright," she said, scratching her arm. "Go ahead then, take off the rosary." She stepped forward and moved her arms so that Peter could grab the rosary. He reached out, his weakened arm trembling ever so lightly. His fingers wrapped around the gem, and he gave it a yank.

Moka's body suddenly glowed with red-pink light, forcing me to shut my eyes and look away. I could hear the sound of bats squeaking as she transformed into her true vampire self. Several seconds passed before the light finally faded, and I looked up to find a familiar silver-haired vampire standing in front of Nagare, hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

"Hmm, pitiful creature," she muttered, looking down on him. "Only capable of focusing on the next girl he can torment." She shook her head before turning to us. "Kurumu, hurry and fly Peter to the infirmary. I'll watch this miserable sack of dung, but I won't do it for long."

I chuckled, giving her a mock salute before readjusting my hold on Peter and lifting him into the air as I took off. He wriggled slightly in my arms as we ascended, getting comfortable.

"Kurumu."

I blinked as he suddenly said my name. "Yes?"

"I want you to know that…" he paused. "You've changed a lot since we met. You went from seducing students to saving lives—to saving _my_ life. You have no idea how proud I am of you. What you're doing, what you're becoming: it's nothing short of amazing."

I knew I was blushing. "Thanks Peter," I replied, looking between him and the expanse of open sky between us and the school. It was a scary thought, knowing that I had almost lost him, knowing that he had almost died today while tackling Nagare to try and give me an opportunity to escape. "Hey," I said quietly. "In the future, don't be so hasty. I might not always be around to help you."

He chuckled. "Sorry, I sorta panicked when I saw you behind him and assumed the worst."

And somehow, he was brushing off a near-death experience. "You could have died," I whispered. "I could have lost you."

He hesitated. "It would have been worth it if you and Moka got out alive," he replied after a second. I froze midair, hovering in place as his words registered.

"You'd…you'd _die_ for us?" I asked in disbelief. "For…me?"

I heard him swallow before he shifted to look back at me. "Yes. Yes, I would."

"Why?" I breathed.

He gave me a small, sad smile, which I almost didn't notice because I was too busy focusing on the pain in his eyes. "There aren't a lot of people left that I care for like this because…" He gulped before shivering slightly. "There's not much left of my family and I've lost good friends to bad circumstances and…and to bad people too many times, so when it comes to those I care about: yes, absolutely. I'd die for them. I—I stopped watching from the sidelines after…"

He paused, sighing as he looked away. I saw his eyes getting wet. "After an incident from about a year ago."

And then, just like that, it was over. The pained look was replaced by a gentle smile, and he wiped his sleeve across his eyes. "So yes, I'd die for you."

I kept hovering, trying to think of something to say.

 _What did I do to deserve him?_

I was in a school full of monsters like Nagare, like Saizou, and like Tamao—people that would hurt others without a second thought. I was once similar to them, and yet my first friends were the kindest girl I had ever met and…

And the boy who was willing to throw away his life to keep me safe.

Without completely thinking about it, I shifted slightly, bringing my legs down until I floated behind Peter, still holding him up. I pulled him closer until I was giving him an awkward hug from behind while hundreds of feet in the air. He twitched at the movement, but remained quiet.

I didn't know for how long we stayed that way, but for the entire time, my mind and heart raced.

If he was willing to sacrifice everything for me, then I...I'd…

"I'd do it for you too," I said quietly, almost whispering into his ear. "I'd protect you with my life…"

A moment of silence passed after I said it.

How? How was he doing it? How had this boy managed to make himself such an important figure in my life? How had he _and_ Moka become so precious to me? Only a month or so ago, I was leaving Moka in the bathroom after poisoning her. Only a month ago, I was trying to hypnotize Peter, but now…after all that we had been through…

I was willing to fight for him until my dying breath.

How? Just how did somebody become so attached to another person so fast? I was a succubus! I was supposed to understand affection in all its forms, and yet this was completely new to me. I had never met people like this and never cared for them this way.

And yet here I was, a succubus, telling a boy that I'd die for him, and he for me.

Was it hypnotism? Was I having my mind bent like before?

 _No…that's not what's happening here. This is…it feels different, it's genuine, it's…_

I didn't know what it was. It was so difficult to describe and understand, but I knew that I _wanted_ to be there for my friends, that I wanted to be there for _him_. I wasn't hesitating, I wasn't doubting it:

I genuinely cared for Peter and Moka like no others. I didn't know what to think of them, or what to call them anymore; they were so much more than friends. Were they family? No, that didn't feel right. I just didn't understand, but I knew that I loved this feeling. This intimacy was…it felt amazing. Holding someone like this—no, holding _Peter_ like this—it felt…how could I describe it? Right? Proper?

I had no clue. It didn't feel like anything else I had ever done, but I knew that I didn't want to lose it, that I didn't want to lose them…

That I didn't want to lose _him_.

"Peter," I whispered. "I'm glad I met you."

He chuckled quietly. "I'm glad I met you too, Kurumu. I'm glad I met you too."

 **A/N:** _Sorry this chapter took so long. Real life problems and the whatnot, you know? Also, school's starting again, so good luck to all my fellow students. Tackle the year like no other!_

 **Explanations/Clarifications (IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ ALL OF THEM!)**

 **Die For You:** _Kurumu is someone who is exceptionally loyal and caring towards her friends. It didn't take long for her to form a powerful bond with the others in canon, and Peter is just one of those people with all the qualities of an amazing friend. Kurumu didn't really have any experience with true friends prior to Yōkai Academy in canon, so meeting people like Moka and Peter, who were both loyal and caring, had her getting attached to them very quickly. She's also surprisingly noble at times, so the idea that she was willing to die for someone like Peter made sense to me. On the other end, Peter is someone who is more than willing to throw himself into harm's way for people he doesn't even know, and more than willing to die for his friends and family. He's gone to great lengths for those he loves in many storylines, so it's only natural that he'd do so for the friends he's made here too. Plus, Kurumu also has the qualities of a great friend, so she the effect she has on Peter is similar to what he has on her._

 **Kurumu's Behavior:** _This chapter was filled with illogical choices made by our favorite succubus, and the first time I attempted this chapter, I had a completely different setup, one that didn't follow canon too closely because I thought there were so many stupid decision. But around halfway through, I realized that Kurumu doesn't rely on logic nearly as much as she does on her emotions and gut feelings. Did she make a few strange decisions in this chapter? Yes. Is that how she usually acts? All things considered, yes. She's a very emotionally invested person, and I didn't realize that until I almost ruined her character in the first attempt at this chapter. So, I stuck closer to canon and added my own spin on things._

 **Kurumu's Secrets:** _It wasn't actually revealed what/how much Nagare knew about Kurumu, but it was shown that she didn't like what she heard._

 **Romance?:** _Someone asked this, so I thought I'd address it publicly. Any romance will be much slower than in canon, because I want the relationships to develop. This chapter, for example, deepened Kurumu's relationship with her friends, and with Peter in particular. I know that the original chapter focused more on Kurumu's relationship with Moka, but I split that aspect between Kurumu's reaction to Moka's forgiveness a few chapters ago and this. The rest had a large focus on her relationship with Peter._

 **Kurumu Romance?:** _Is it possible? I believe it is._ _Will it happen? Again, it's possible. Feel free to tell me your thoughts on the matter._

 **Where's Ginei?:** _I left him out because, knowing Peter, he'd force Ginei to help, and that would make defeating Nagare a piece of cake, seeing as Gin could take Peter's place once he went down. Long story short: this was Kurumu's time to shine, not Ginei's._

 **Peter vs. Nagare:** _Peter was taken by surprise when tackling Nagare (the spider-sense would have warned him, yes, but he would have assumed it was Nagare and not the gas). The symbiote can't generate enough force to pry off a hippo-sized slug's sticky fingers from Peter's throat, and it can't create weapons sharp or powerful enough to cut deep enough into Nagare to actually hurt him. A succubus' claws are far, far sharper than anything the symbiote can form, especially without a host body to use as a foundation (like with the blade tendril). The symbiote has been said to be able to filter out toxins and gases, but I haven't granted it all of its abilities yet. I've got plans for that later. I don't know much about how a symbiote controls its host's body, nor is Nagare's gas really explained, but for simplicity's sake, I had the gas leave Peter's body without the ability to move, so the symbiote couldn't pilot it. That, along with the choking, the near indestructible body, and Peter being caught by surprise, helped Nagare subdue Peter and knock him out through suffocation. I will touch upon this subject a little more next chapter, where you will see Peter's view on the whole thing._

 **Kurumu Emphasis:** _Last entry, don't worry. Now, I know that I've been putting a lot of emphasis on Kurumu, and that's because I felt as though her character was treated like trash in the anime and early manga. She was always that girl that hung off Tsukune while he chased after Moka. Realistically, it would have been incredibly hurtful for her, so she's getting a bigger role here._


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Pyromania101:** _Yes, if Peter knew about the gas, Nagare would have been down in seconds. Yeah, Nagare's been portrayed as a piece of crap, but killing him goes against what Peter had been teaching her. Besides, they don't brush it off—they turn them over to the teachers._

 **coldblue:** _It's awesome to hear that you're enjoying the story so much. I'm going to start by mentioning that Peter's backstory (when/where he got his powers, Uncle Ben's death, etc.) will be told later on, so I won't reveal it here. Personally, I'd say that both Peter and his alter ego are the hero. I'm glad to hear that you like the way I've been developing the female cast (I agree that Kurumu was made way too shallow, by the way). To answer your questions: 1) They'll show up, but that's all I'm going to say. 2) That remains to be determined. 3) There's no such program right now, but it's not a bad idea. I might try to include it in some form. Who finds out about Spider-Man is a secret for now, so you'll have to wait and see :) Now, I read your suggestions and I found them very interesting and unique. I might use some of them. I can agree that Peter can't become the MOST powerful out of everybody, but he can get pretty high on the list. Yeah, canon completely ignored the possibility of Tsukune being discovered gradually, so we'll see if I can change things up with Peter's human nature and how/if it gets out. Alright then, I think that's it (sorry that this reply is so short—I'd make it longer, but the word count would get bloated too much). If I missed anything, point it out, and I'll get right back to you. Until then, enjoy Chapter 14!_

 **seem14:** _I didn't give the symbiote ALL of the powers it's been shown to have yet—I'm saving those for a special occasion. I wasn't sure how Nagare's gas or the symbiote's body-controlling thing actually worked, so I took the simpler route (the gas shuts down Peter's body, so the symbiote can't move it). Interesting, I never knew it could control minds._

 **AnimeA55Kicker:** _I'm not going to reveal anything, but I'll say this: romance in this story will not work like canon._

 **Red Rain17:** _We might as well call him Spider-Hulk. Thanks for the statistics :)_

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thanks._

 **lincoln time:** _Admittedly, I could have handled the fight better, but this symbiote doesn't yet have ALL of its powers from the comics (I've got a plan for them), so it doesn't filter gasses or the like yet. Yes, Peter has taken down much worse foes, but he screwed up against Nagare—everybody makes mistakes, and Spidey is no exception (this chapter actually touches upon his screw-up). I have no idea why people don't use gas against him more often, but I'm not the one who wrote the characters for his other enemies._

 **Remzal Von Enili:** _Hey, you never know, right?_

 **I Be Random:** _I'm glad to hear that you're glad. We're all glad._

 **Drunkle Qrow:** _Wow, why didn't I think of that? He's a slug—they hate salt. Yeah, the main cast of girls is pretty crazy, each in their own way, but that's what makes them fun, in my opinion. Good to hear that you're liking things so far._

 **SonicAnime2010:** _I'm going to assume that quote was from some anime (seeing as friendship is roughly equivalent to power in anime). Not going to comment on your harem guesses (don't want to give anything away), so you'll just have to wait and see :)_

 **Lets Do That Again:** _I read the words "yandere" and "symbiote" and thought of Venom-ized Yuno Gasai lol._

 **On Soaring Wings:** _Glad to hear that :)_

 **Laxard:** _Nah, any fanfic with Venom requires a spectacular entrance. I agree, though, Nagare probably knew something embarrassing about Kurumu. Huh, she's the creator's favorite? I never knew that, so thanks for sharing._

 **Croniklerx/Arachnophile801:** _I replied to your review (and your PM) with a PM. I will reply to your second PM when I get the chance (I just saw it, but it's 3 AM for me right now, and I'm exhausted—just gonna post this chapter and pass out)._

 **Zeemz:** _I'm not sure how often I'll do POV changes, but thanks for the feedback. Your assessment of Peter's fight was identical to mine, by the way._

 **Guest:** _Yeah, but I'm not basing this symbiote strictly off the comics._

 **Guest (Z):** _You know, that actually makes sense._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _You'll find out later on :)_

 **NOTE:** _This chapter is based off both the manga and the anime, so if you saw one and not the other, this chapter will probably be a bit different than what you're used to._

 **-Chapter 14: Snow and Sorrow-**

I screwed up.

Royally.

And I was honestly wondering what was worse: almost being killed by someone like Nagare of all people, or the fact that the symbiote wasn't letting me live it down—and not in a mocking manner, but in an incredibly annoyed one. The alien's pride had been wounded, as had my own.

It was such a _rookie_ mistake too! I didn't take enough time to think when I saw Kurumu trapped behind Nagare, and I had almost paid the price for it. I had looked and just acted, not taking the time to even bother trying to analyze Nagare or the situation, and severely underestimating my opponent.

Looking back on it, I could think of at least a dozen ways I could have handled Nagare _without_ nearly getting killed.

The symbiote could think of over a hundred.

If I had pulled that kind of stunt back in New York against some of the people I had fought before, the chances of me getting out alive were pretty low. It was frustrating, to get knocked down like that by someone who ended being as weak as Nagare. I was Spider-Man for crying out loud!

I suppressed a sigh and put on a smile while handing out a newspaper to another student.

I hated making rookie mistakes. And when you spend your time fighting criminals, sane and insane alike, you can't afford to make those kinds of mistakes. I was lucky that Kurumu acted when she did and, ironically, so was Nagare.

Because if it weren't for Kurumu's interference, the symbiote would have resorted to lethal force. It had been seconds away from going for Nagare's eyes with a blade, and it would have done so sooner if it weren't for me trying to keep it from doing so. I didn't want to die, but fatal blows were not something I resorted to unless absolutely, indisputably necessary and it was something that I had been trying to teach the symbiote since I first found out it was sapient. If Kurumu hadn't gotten me out of Nagare's grip, he might have been in far worse shape than he had ended up in.

Days had passed since that fight, and in that time, above all else, I had realized one important thing:

I had become too reckless...too confident.

After the fight, I really sat down to try and figure out what went wrong, and while I could attribute my recklessness in that situation to seeing Kurumu in danger, I had come to the conclusion that I had also become too confident during my time here. Because for all of its crazy students and weird teachers, Yōkai Academy just hadn't produced the same dangers that New York had yet.

It was difficult to compare a perverted, yet violent student to a multimillionaire in charge of a criminal empire with command of over a dozen superhuman psychopaths and a score to settle.

The symbiote and I had both realized it: Yōkai Academy was making me overconfident. While it may have had more superhuman individuals that needed to be faced, so far, the ones I had met just couldn't compare with the life-or-death battles I had in New York. And after winning so many fights with so little effort here, I seemed to have become a little too comfortable with my winning-spree, and the fight with Nagare had made me realize that I could still lose. Friends in mortal danger or not, I had still acted without thinking, and just assumed that I'd be able to hold Nagare down. The desire to help Kurumu was there, yes, but if I had perceived Nagare as a major threat, I would have acted differently, and with infinitely more caution.

But I had learned my lesson, and for the sake of both my safety and that of the girls, I wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Thank you very much!" Moka suddenly exclaimed with an enthusiastic bow as she handed several newspapers to a small group of students. The guys in the group practically had hearts in their eyes as they watched Moka.

"You know," said a familiar male voice to my right. "The Newspaper Club could use a few models for some of our photo shoots. Would you ladies be interested?"

I rolled my eyes as I watched two girls back up while Ginei Morioka grinned at them. "What?" he asked innocently. "Not your thing?"

"We, um, w-we need to go," said one of the girls, dragging her friend along. Ginei frowned, an expression that lasted all of two seconds before he spotted another pair of girls and ran over to them, repeating almost the exact same lines after introducing himself.

In all honesty, I was pleasantly surprised by Ginei. He had gotten back shortly after the whole incident with Nagare, and without the full moon driving him crazy, he was…actually a good guy. His perverted habits and tendency to hit on every pretty girl that walked by aside, he was easy to get along with and fun to be around. The only time we really got to talk to him was during our club meets, but in the few short days that we really got to hang out with him, he proved that he wasn't too bad a guy.

"Oh come on sweetheart! Don't walk away!"

If he wasn't too busy chasing after girls, that is.

I watched as Ginei helplessly stumbled after a girl that was obviously doing her best to ignore him. I had been a little worried about Ginei's behavior, seeing as this school had the horrible habit of housing perverts and rapists, but after all the dozens of times I had seen Ginei hit on girls in the past few days, I had noticed that he always backed off if the girl got genuinely upset.

Which happened fairly often.

I handed another paper to a student holding her hand out to me. I had also noticed that, whenever we handed out papers, almost everybody flocked to Moka and Kurumu. I assumed it was because they were both popular and attractive, which obviously got the attention of most of the guys here—who, if they weren't drooling over Moka or Kurumu, were glaring at me, which, luckily, never escalated into something worse.

"Thank you!" said another student as they walked away with a newspaper Moka had handed them.

"This issue sure is selling well," I commented while walking up to the vampire.

"Mhm!" she replied happily while handing out another newspaper. I held out my own stack and let a few impatient-looking students have their papers. "I think our paper's popularity is really soaring!"

"Seriously," said Yukari. "I guess that means we're doing something right."

The next few minutes were spent handing out our papers to anybody who wanted them, and eventually, everybody had one.

"Wow, almost every copy gone!" cheered Kurumu. "We rock!"

"I think this is the first time we've nearly run out like this," I said while grabbing an empty box. "We might have to start making more copies sometime in the future." Thankfully, we had managed to obtain a copy machine, which we used in junction with Yukari's computer. We'd never be able to make all the papers by hand.

"Hey you guys," Moka began, a wide grin on her face. "We should celebrate! We could throw a little party after school with food and drinks, and maybe some games!"

I smiled at the idea. "You know, that sounds nice. I'm for it. Yukari? Kurumu?"

"Oh, I've got a few magic tricks I wanted to show off!" shouted Yukari, practically jumping into the air as she waved her wand. "I say we do it!"

"You know, I could bake a cake for us," Kurumu said, putting a finger to her chin. "Yeah, I could get behind this party idea."

"Awesome!" said Moka, clasping her hands together before she looked around in confusion. "Huh? Hey, where's Ginei?" We looked around for a second, searching for the werewolf.

"Weird," I muttered. "He was right over—oh, there he is. And his arm's around a girl." I chuckled quietly. "Typical Ginei."

"Ugh," groaned Yukari. "He's the enemy of all women. I can see why you guys had such a problem with him—heck, and this is him _after_ you all ended his peeping spree. I can only imagine how bad it must have been before that."

"Oh forget him," Kurumu said with a wave of her hand. "He's not invited. He slacks off during the actual work anyway."

"We should still invite him," I said with a shrug. "I mean, it'd be kinda rude to just leave him out."

The succubus snorted. "Easy for you to say. You're a guy; Ginei acts normal around you. He's still a bit crazy around girls."

"I still think we should invite him," I replied before turning to…

Ginei was gone. Again.

"And poof," Yukari mumbled. "He's off again." The rest of us chuckled. I was about to say something, but something interrupted me.

"You people are all buddy-buddy, aren't you?" asked a soft monotone voice.

I looked over my shoulder to find an oddly-dressed girl with long purple hair and a lollipop sticking out from between her lips.

"And you all like each other…I've never really understood that way of thinking…"

I blinked. What?

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Kurumu asked heatedly. I glanced at her, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," I said quietly. "Easy there." I looked back to the purple-haired girl. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

She took a second to reply. "Mizore…Mizore Shirayuki." She held out her hand. "Newspaper."

"Pardon?"

"Can I have one?"

I hesitated before reaching into the nearly empty box next to me, pulling out a copy of the Yōkai Gazette. I held out the newspaper while stepping forward, Mizore mirroring the movement. She gently took the paper from my fingers and— _whoa, way too close!_

Mizore had suddenly leaned in, her face uncomfortably close to mine. I moved back slightly because I could literally feel her cold breath on my face. "Um, hi?" I said awkwardly. "I take it the term 'personal space' means nothing to you?"

It looked like that was the case because the words didn't seem to register at all with Mizore. She just slid the lollipop out of her mouth, frowning while she sniffed the air. "You smell funny," she deadpanned.

I gave her a blank stare. "You dress funny."

She titled her head to the side after a pause. "You're not what I expected. I imagined that you'd be…shorter, but…"

I frowned. She had imagined me? She knew me? Just who was this girl? Before I could ask those questions, however, she turned around, waving at me from over her shoulder. "You know, you're cuter than I imagined."

 _Did she just…?_

"I'll see you around," she finished while walking away.

And just like that, Mizore was gone, walking away and disappearing into the main school building. I watched her go, repeatedly blinking in confusion and wondering what had just happened. I was jerked from my thoughts when Moka pulled on my sleeve. "What was that all about?" she asked in concern. I idly wondered if the others had heard Mizore's comment on me being 'cuter than she had imagined'.

"No clue. I've never met that girl," I answered, still looking in the direction Mizore had gone. "But, apparently, she knows me. Not sure how, not sure why."

"Whoever she is," Kurumu began. "She's creeping me out."

"You said it," Yukari agreed, nodding her head.

I wasn't sure what to think. What was she? Threat? Potential friend? She had just walked up to me, told me I smelled funky, said I wasn't what she was expecting, and then walked away while complimenting me.

What was a guy supposed to make of that?

As characteristic of it, the symbiote was going off of the assumption that we should be careful. After my screw up with Nagare, the alien was eager for us to prove that we only made those kinds of mistakes once in a blue moon. "Well," I said slowly. "I guess we should get to class. Are we still planning on having that little party after school?"

"Oh definitely!" Moka replied, her concern completely forgotten and replaced with her usual cheerful smile. "Let's have the best celebration ever!"

I couldn't help but smile as Yukari and Kurumu cheered, but even as we began walking to school, I couldn't get the image of that purple-haired girl out of my head. For whatever reason, I felt as though I was about to have another crazy encounter with one of Yōkai Academy's seemingly endless stream of strange students.

And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious.

Getting to class was a bit of a hassle, but we managed to arrive just before we could be considered tardy. We took our seats as usual, waiting for Miss Nekonome to start with the roll call. After sorting through a few papers that had gotten mixed in with the attendance board, the teacher began calling out names.

"Mister Parker?" she eventually asked.

"Here."

"Miss Akashiya?"

"Here!"

"Mister—meow? Who's…?" Miss Nekonome trailed off as a girl walked in through the door. I perked up when I saw a head of familiar purple hair. "Oh, Miss Shirayuki! How nice to see you!"

"Mizore?" I asked nobody in particular. What was she doing here? Was she in this class? I had never seen her here before.

Mizore completely ignored Miss Nekonome and wordlessly made her way over to an empty seat.

Right in front of me.

The class stayed silent for a few seconds before Miss Nekonome cut in. "Well, everybody, this is Mizore Shirayuki. Circumstances have prevented her from attending class for a while now, so I hope that you'll all make her feel welcome."

'Prevented her from attending class'? How long had it been since school started? I had no clue, but I knew it had been a while by now. And she was just _now_ appearing? Just how bad were these circumstances?

Slowly, Mizore turned around, her eyes meeting mine. She gave me a small wave, which I hesitantly returned. And then after that, she just stayed silent. Throughout the entire class, she never spoke or interacted with anyone. When it was finally time to head out, Moka, Kurumu and I left as usual.

"What do you guys think about that Mizore girl?" asked Moka.

"I think it's weird that she's just now showing up," Kurumu replied with a frown. I nodded in agreement. It was definitely odd for her to be arriving this late.

"Whatever those 'circumstances' were, they must have been pretty serious for her to have skipped this many school days already," I said. The girls both nodded in agreement. The remainder of classes went by fairly quickly, and when school was over for the day, Moka, Kurumu, Yukari and I all got together and decided on what time we'd actually have our party. Given that Kurumu wanted to bake a cake, we decided we'd get together again when she was done, which should have been in around two hours, according to Kurumu. After that, she went to bake her cake in her dorm, Moka went to help her, Yukari went off to get some other things done, and I wandered around to get some fresh air.

Some time after we split up, I found myself by Moka's favorite vending machine—which had also become one of my favorite hangouts—relaxing on a bench and enjoying the cool breeze. Unlike usual, neither Moka nor Kurumu were around with me, as both were busy. So for the time being, it was just the symbiote and I, which, all things considered, wasn't bad.

I threw one leg over the other and leaned back on the bench and idly wondered where Ginei had gone off to again, because we hadn't seen him since that morning. I had looked for him a bit, but simply couldn't find him. I still hoped we'd run into him to at least tell him what we were planning. It just felt a bit rude to completely leave him out of it, even if he did tend to slack—

Being watched.

I stiffened, immediately processing the symbiote's warning. It had spotted somebody watching us—and they were making every attempt to hide their presence. It only took a mere thought for the symbiote to convey all this information through our link.

 _Symbiote, can you get a better look at our stalker?_

I received the mental equivalent of a nod in return. A second later, however, the symbiote let out a short burst of disappointment. Whoever was watching us was hidden in the shadows and crouching next a pillar, which hid most of their body from view, and while the symbiote could still see them, it couldn't properly make out the details.

My head swiveled to the right, facing the direction from which the symbiote had seen our stalker. The alien quickly pointed out the pillar that it had last seen them hide behind, and I looked at the structure almost immediately after turning to it, only barely noticing someone duck behind it.

 _I'm going to deal with this now. I don't need a stalker figuring out where our club meets or finding out something important. Kurumu just got blackmailed, and we don't need a repeat of that. Better get this out of the way now._

The symbiote silently agreed.

"Hey," I called, uncrossing my legs in case I'd have to make sudden movements. "You behind the pillar—yeah, I saw you—come on out." Nothing happened for a few seconds. "You do realize that I only have to walk about thirty feet to get to you, right? I'm going to get a good look at you regardless."

Slowly, a familiar, purple-haired girl poked her head out from behind the pillar. "Hello," she said quietly.

"Huh?" I asked, eyes widening when I saw who it was. "Mizore? What are you doing here?"

If she was at all fazed by being caught, Mizore didn't show it in the slightest. Instead, she simply walked over to me. "I read your newspaper," she began. "As usual, your articles were the most interesting."

I blinked while standing up. _My_ articles made up a very small fraction of what was actually in our newspaper. The majority of what I did at our club revolved around taking pictures, so what few articles I wrote weren't nearly as common or long as those of the others. The only notable thing about them was that they were written primarily for the weak and bullied students at Yōkai. Bullying was a problem here too, and I remembered how I was always tormented by older, larger students before I got my powers. It was almost on a whim, but I got the idea to start writing articles that were meant to encourage and help people that were in the same kind of situation as I once was. My work wasn't nearly as popular as that of the others', but we had heard a few people commenting on what I had written, and it seemed as though those little articles were doing fairly well for themselves.

But nobody had ever come up to me like this and blatantly told me that they enjoyed my work. I had always attributed that to either a small audience or to the fact that those who actually read what I wrote were probably too shy to approach me.

"Oh," I said slowly. "I'm, um, I'm happy to hear that you like them."

Mizore smiled. "I can really appreciate you trying to reach out to the weak and helpless. And the way you write and what you say indicated that you were just like the people you write for, so I was expecting someone really small and frail, but you don't look weak at all…"

Ah, yes. I remembered having a similar conversation with the girls when I first got the idea for these articles, shortly after Yukari but before Nagare. They were a bit shocked to learn that I was once a weak, bullied student. I could distinctly remember that conversation because I said something along the lines of "getting my powers", and then had to quickly cover it up by saying that my kind developed our powers at a later age.

I was honestly wondering how long I'd be able to go before I let slip something that I couldn't cover up.

I shook my head slightly to get myself to focus back on the present. I gave Mizore a small shrug and a smile. "I used to have a bully problem. Got picked on a lot, and didn't have many friends. Now that I've moved on, I figured I'd try to help people who are having the same problems I had by giving them a word of encouragement and a few little tips that some of us had to learn the hard way."

Her strange smile became slightly larger. "So you know what it feels like, huh? You're just like me…" She began stepping closer. "I've been keeping up with your paper, you know. Miss Nekonome always brought me issues of the Yōkai Gazette, so I've been reading it since the start."

She reached into one of her pockets, pulling out a book with a classic, fancy cover. "I've also been saving your articles," she said quietly as she handed me the book. "Go ahead and take a look."

I hesitantly lifted it from her hand and flipped it open it, only for my eyes to widen. There were notes _everywhere_. I could see my articles—cut out directly from the Yōkai Gazette and glued into the book, it seemed—all over the page, and layers of notes and arrows on top of them. The next page was the same, as was the one after that.

"You like?" asked Mizore. "I scribbled in a bunch of my own comments and ideas."

"I can see," I replied slowly, handing the book back to her. "I'm sure you've got some very interesting ideas of your own."

Mizore gave me another one of her strange smiles as she put the book into her pocket. "We can work together some time, if you want. I think we could write great things if we put our minds to it."

After a pause, she continued. "We're the same, you and I," she whispered, gliding forward. I wasn't sure what she was doing until after I felt her wrap her arms around my waist, letting out a quiet hum. Mizore looked up at me, still smiling. "I think your personality and views are very similar to mine. You must be so lonely. Trust me, I know how that feels."

"You…do?" I asked quietly. The symbiote silently warned me that if Mizore was a threat, she had a very good shot at me right about now. I knew this as well and gently wriggled out of her grip and stepped back, making eye contact with her. She frowned for a second, but it faded fast, and she nodded in response to my question.

"Yes," she replied. "Like I said, we're the same." She hesitated for a second as her expression softened. "Would you like to go rock skipping?"

I paused, wondering if I could. I knew I still had some time before the party…

I also knew that it would be a bit risky, seeing as she had spied on me, but as far as I could tell, Mizore was either a stalker, or a girl that read my articles and decided that, because I was like her, I could be her friend. If the former was true and she was a threat, spending time with her would help me analyze her and figure out if she was going to try anything. And if I rejected the offer, she might follow me around until she found out something important or sensitive. If, however, she was the latter, and was simply looking for a friend, then I'd be able to find that out, and a lot of potentially unnecessary suspicion could be avoided.

"You know what?" I asked. "Sure."

Mizore's face brightened slightly. "There's a small lake very close to the school. It's just this way," she said. I nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. I knew the lake she was talking about, and it was the same one I would have suggested if she had tried leading me anywhere else. Mizore paused and waited as I walked up next to her before moving on again.

"Have you ever skipped rocks before?" she asked when we reached the lake.

I shook my head as I picked up a flat pebble. "No, I spent my life in the city. There weren't many chances to go to the local lake or anything."

"You lived in a city?" Mizore asked softly, flinging a stone across the water and watching it bounce. "A human one, right?"

"Yeah," I answered, throwing my own rock in and watching as it flew right into the water without so much as a skip. I frowned and grabbed another pebble.

Mizore giggled quietly at my expression. "What was it like?" she asked.

I tilted my head to the side slightly, wondering just how to describe it. "Big," I finally answered. "The city was huge, and the population even larger. There were people everywhere. All the time. The traffic could get pretty bad at times too." I silently hoped that Mizore wouldn't bother asking the name of said city, seeing as that could end up blowing my cover. "What about you? What was your home like?"

"Small," she answered, throwing another rock and watching as it skipped six times. "Much smaller than what you're describing. It was a village."

That could possibly explain why she mentioned feeling 'lonely'. I was under the impression that those who lived in small communities were close-knit, but if she couldn't make friends within something as compact as a village, she might have felt as though she had nobody.

"A village huh?" I asked. "Sounds pretty quaint. I lived in a quieter area, but I often wondered what it was like living in a secluded place without a booming metropolis just around the corner."

"It can get a little lonely," Mizore said quietly. "Not many people around."

"I figured as much." I picked up another rock and threw it, smiling when it bounced four times. I was getting the hang of this. About a minute of silence passed before Mizore decided to speak up again.

"You said you had a bully problem," she said, turning to me. "Were you being bullied by a monster?"

I twitched at the mention of my previous bully problems. I'd have to use the same excuse I gave the others about my powers. "No, it was a human bully. At least, I think it was. He never showed any…nonhuman qualities."

"You let a human bully you?" Mizore asked curiously.

"'Let' isn't the word I'd use," I mumbled. "My powers didn't develop until I was older, so until then, I was pretty much human-level in all aspects. Except I was pretty small."

"Oh…" Mizore responded. "That's…weird."

"I know," I said with a shrug.

"So what happened?"

I sighed. "His name was Flash Thompson. He basically made me his personal chew toy for a few years. I've lost track of how many times I've been tripped by him or suddenly found myself drenched from a water balloon to the head, but it's safe to say that he liked making me look and feel stupid."

Which was only made hilariously dumb after I became Spider-Man, seeing as I was both his idol and the guy he tried to pick on.

I could see Mizore frowning from the corner of my eye as I looked out over the small lake. "When my powers finally developed, I sorta…I guess you could say I fought back. I began dodging whatever he threw at me, began outrunning him when he chased me, and at one point, I made _him_ look pretty stupid. He, of course, didn't like that, and it escalated into a fight. My first one, actually."

"And?"

I shrugged. "I won. The teachers found out. My aunt and uncle found out. Everybody got a bit…upset. I was never the type to get into fights, but with my powers showing up, and me being pretty fed up with being pushed around, I stopped taking it and did something about it. I regret actually fighting Flash, but afterwards, he slowly began backing off. He eventually figured out that he couldn't have his fun with me constantly slipping through his fingers, and he just…stopped. I guess he got tired of picking on someone who he couldn't push around anymore."

"But you regret fighting him?" Mizore asked, cocking her head. "Even though it got him off your back?"

"I don't see anything wrong with standing up to bullying," I said. "But fighting him over it was…well, I just wish I hadn't done it. There were other ways I could have gone about it, and he probably would have quit if I just kept outsmarting him and not letting him have his fun."

Even if I was Spider-Man, I still tried talking criminals down. And if they didn't surrender, which was often the case, that's when I'd resort to fighting. Sure, that happened roughly ninety-nine percent of the time, but if a criminal genuinely showed that they weren't really a bad person or were capable of change, I'd give them the chance. They'd still face the law, but I still tried to help them change. Flash was just a schoolyard bully—no powers, no use of excessive force—unlike some of the students here. Looking back on it, I honestly believed that I could have freed myself from him without having to fight him and cause so much trouble.

Mizore, meanwhile, shuffled her feet. "At least you stopped him, right?"

"I guess, yeah," I replied. "After he stopped, I was a lot less afraid of bullies. I knew that I could stand up to them, so I often ended up getting involved in other peoples' problems. I'd see some weak student getting pushed around, and I'd try helping them out. It was a human school, so I couldn't just transform and go crazy, but then you don't always need to hit a bully to get him to stop."

This practice had, of course, become common with me a while after I became Spider-Man. Helping others felt so natural as Spider-Man that I began doing it when not wearing the mask too.

"You started helping others with their bully problems?" Mizore asked.

I also started helping New York with its 'criminal problems', but that was a story for another day.

I nodded. "Yeah. I think that was when I started to learn to socialize. Before that, I only really talked to two people outside my immediate family. And before that, it was just me—for years it was just me."

Mizore stepped a little closer, wrapping her arm around my own. "If it makes you feel better, I didn't have friends either," she whispered. "We're just like each other. I think we're really capable of understanding one another."

 _There she goes again, telling me we're the same._

The symbiote didn't understand her either. However, a second later, it silently informed me that if I stayed here much longer, I'd end up missing the little party our club had planned. "Oh, shoot," I mumbled, looking up at the sky. "I'm going to be late."

Mizore looked up at me and blinked. "For what?"

"That party my club was going to have," I said while trying to figure out exactly what time it was. "We had a small get-together planned to celebrate our newspaper's success."

Mizore's hand suddenly felt much colder. "Do you have to go?" she asked so quietly that I almost didn't hear her. I blinked at the sudden change in demeanor.

"Well, no, but I want to," I said slowly. "We planned this hours ago."

The purple-haired girl's grip tightened slightly. "So you're choosing them over me…"

"What?" I asked. "Mizore, that's not—I mean, this has been fun, yeah, but—"

"Those two girls," she cut in, her monotone returning and replacing her gentle tone. "Kurumu and Moka; they're the ones you really want to see, right? You spend all your time around them. People say that you spend every second around that Kurumu girl in particular."

Because I was her guardian.

The symbiote and I were both growing uneasy, and while I began to move away from Mizore, her hold on my arm tightened all the more. "Even now, right after sharing your story with me, you still want to leave. We were only getting started, and already those two are stealing you…"

"Mizore, what are you talking about?" I asked.

"If they didn't exist," she continued, her eyes glued to the ground. "You'd be mine. All mine."

My eyes widened and I forced my arm out of Mizore's and stepped back. I had been getting suspicious of Mizore for the past few seconds, but after that comment, I was getting downright scared of what she might be implying.

Mizore blinked in surprise when I suddenly pulled away and whirled to face her. "What are you saying?" I demanded.

Mizore's smile returned, but this one seemed to hold even _less_ warmth than the last ones. The smile alone put me on edge. "All you have to do is be mine, 'kay?" she said. "That's all. Really."

"Define 'be yours'," I said evenly while keeping my eyes on her. The symbiote was already preparing to fight, and at the rate things were going, it looked like this might lead to just that. The air was getting progressively colder and I could literally see ice and snow forming on the ground.

Mizore, meanwhile, slowly walked towards me. "I won't let you go," she said as snowflakes swirled around her. "Don't you see? It was fate that we met. We were drawn to each other because we're both so alike. I can feel the connection between us. Embrace me and we can warm each other's frozen hearts."

I backed up, inhaling sharply when long, icy claws sprouted from Mizore's sleeves, covering her hands like armored gauntlets. Her hair began changing until it looked like light-purple ice, and, to my utter surprise, the lake itself began freezing over in a matter of seconds.

I gasped when my spider-sense went off, leaping into the air as large growths of ice suddenly shot from the ground at my feet, narrowly missing me. I landed on all fours somewhere in the middle of the frozen lake, the symbiote already forming the black suit around me. I looked up as Mizore continued moving towards me, the same icy growths shooting into the air around her as she walked.

"Oh great," I mumbled, eyeing the massive claws at Mizore's sides. "It's like Elsa had a child with Freddy Krueger." I stood up to full height as I looked at the slowly approaching purple-haired girl. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're a…snow angel?"

"Snow woman," she corrected bluntly. I rolled my eyes. Of course, other teenagers have fateful encounters with magical snowmen in top hats with carrot noses, but what do I get? A crazy snow woman and a face full of ice crystals.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"You really haven't picked up on it?" she asked slowly, her voice echoing through my ears. "We're two lost and lonely souls finally meeting each other. We're…soul mates."

I blinked. _That_ I was not expecting. I quickly began reevaluating this girl

"Just relax," Mizore continued. "After I've fully encased your body in ice, you won't go anywhere ever again. Then you'll be mine and mine alone, just like it should be."

This wasn't what I had imagined. I had begun to compare her to Nagare, to some sort of pervert, but listening to her like this, I was beginning to realize that this wasn't a sex-crazed maniac, but some sort of lost, depressed girl looking for a cure to her loneliness. The only problem was that she was resorting to very bad methods of doing so.

 _She's like Yukari, only instead of dumb pranks, she's downright attacking me. This is more serious than Yukari was, this girl needs professional help. Fighting her and putting her in the program for problematic students will do her absolutely no good._

I regarded her again.

 _I need to calm her down._

"Mizore, listen to me," I began. "You need help. It doesn't have to be this way, we don't have to fight."

"Of course we don't," she said in that hollow, echoing voice of hers. "You just have to accept this for what it is. We're destined for each other. Don't fight it."

I shivered as a freezing wind blew past me. "Don't do this," I said, holding my hands out in what I hoped looked like a calming manner. "Look, we can get you help. You can find a cure for your loneliness, but this isn't it!"

"Of course it is," she said. She was still approaching me, and I began backing up slightly to ensure she couldn't attack me. I had to get through to her! "What better way to free myself of this depression than to find my mate? Together, we'd embrace each other forever, and neither of us will ever have to feel alone again."

I gritted my teeth. This looked like it was the result of years of emotional pain and instability. Moka had gotten attached to me shortly after meeting me as well, but this was a whole new level. Whatever Mizore had gone through, it must have been worse than anything Moka and I had to endure, maybe even worse than what Yukari had to go through.

"Peter!"

I whirled around at the sound of the new voice. My eyes widened when I saw Kurumu descending out of the sky, carrying Moka with her. "Just hold on!" Moka shouted. "We're coming!"

"But how?" asked Mizore. "My puppet killed the two of you."

Puppet? What puppet? Did I miss something? The symbiote was just as confused as I was, so if Mizore had pulled something while I wasn't looking, the alien had missed it too. And killing? What was _that_ about?

"Sorry to disappoint you," Kurumu said with a grin. "But Moka came back to my room right after your puppet thing showed up. She was helping me bake my cake and now it's completely ruined thanks to you!"

Mizore's eyes narrowed. "You stay out of my way!" she shouted, massive spikes of ice shooting from the ground and straight at Kurumu and Moka. The girls gasped when the spikes reached them, and Kurumu veered away, only narrowly avoiding them.

"Hold on, we're going down!" Kurumu shouted as she tried to catch herself. I dashed over to where they were flying, catching them with a grunt as I slid back a few feet on the ice, nearly losing my balance.

"Are you two alright?" I asked as I set them down.

"Yeah," Kurumu answered before turning to me, a look of concern in her eyes. "What about you? Has she done anything to you?"

"I'm fine," I replied, glancing at Mizore. "But she's not. We need to talk her down."

"Talk her down?" Moka asked.

"That girl sent some ice clone thing to kill us!" Kurumu exclaimed. "We should be beating the crap out of her!"

"She's like Yukari," I pointed out. "Fighting her will solve nothing. It'll only make things worse."

Another blast of cold wind enveloped us, causing the three of us to shiver. "All of you trying to get in between the true love between Peter and I…you all need to just disappear." She held up a clawed hand. "I've had enough."

"Wait, true love?" asked Moka. "Peter, what's she talking about?"

"Long story," I mumbled before raising my voice. "Mizore! Stop this! Before someone gets hurt!"

Mizore shook her head in bewilderment. "Why? Why do you keep trying to stop me? You of all people, we share the same pain, the same loneliness! We're meant for each other. Why do you keep resisting?"

"Love's a two-way street," I said. "You won't feel any better by spending time with me if I'm frozen in a block of ice for the rest of my life."

"A 'two-way street'?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Oh no…don't tell me, you don't feel the same?'

"What?"

Mizore took a hesitant step _back_ now. "You don't see me the same way I see you? You don't love me?"

My shoulders slumped slightly. "Mizore, we _just met_. How could I…" I trailed off, unsure of how to continue without hurting her further. The snow woman just kept stepping back, her eyes wide and glistening with tears.

"You don't love me," she breathed before looking at the ground, grabbing her own shoulders. "He doesn't love me…."

Crap, I was losing her! "Mi—" I stopped when I saw her shaking. I could hear quiet sobs coming from her. The sobs continued to increase in volume until Mizore threw her head back.

"PETER WHY?!"

Moka, Kurumu, and I covered our faces as we were pelted with a shower of ice crystals and snow, Mizore's wail of despair echoing through our ears. A blizzard had suddenly exploded into existence around us, utterly blinding us for several seconds. Finally, the snow cleared, and Mizore was nowhere to be seen.

"She's gone," muttered Kurumu. "Just like that…"

"Where do you think she went?" asked Moka.

I stared at the spot where Mizore had been, her final words replaying in my mind. "We have to find her," I finally said. "She might hurt someone if left alone…or she might hurt herself."

"Find her?" Moka asked. "How? We have no clue where she went!"

"We'll tell the teachers," I answered, turning around. "We might not find her in time if it's just us. Kurumu, grab Moka, and follow me. Come on!"

They were hesitant, but they did as I said. Kurumu picked up Moka and carried her while I led them back to the main school building. We got a lot of strange looks along the way from various students, reminding us that we were still in our 'monster' forms. By the time we reached the school, however, we assumed our normal forms and ran to find the teachers.

"Miss Nekonome!" I called as we barged into a room full of staff members. "We've got a problem!"

The cat-eared teacher jumped when I loudly announced our presence, turning to us in surprise while a lot of the other adults in the room shot us annoyed looks. "Meow? What's wrong?"

"Mizore Shirayuki," I said as we approached. "You remember her?"

Miss Nekonome gasped. "Miss Shirayuki? Oh dear, has something happened?"

"Yes," I replied. The next minute or so went to explaining the issue with Mizore and how she had run off. Throughout the whole thing, Miss Nekonome's expression grew more and more concerned.

"I'm worried about what she might do if we don't find her," I concluded. "We need to get to her before she does something drastic."

"Yes, I agree!" said the teacher, standing up. "I'll inform the faculty right away. Meanwhile, you three can begin looking. If you find her, send someone to tell the teachers right away!"

We nodded and turned to leave, but I stopped mid-step as an idea hit me. "Hey, Miss Nekonome," I began. "Can Kurumu temporarily go on her own?"

The succubus and the teacher in question turned to look at me in confusion. "She can cover far more ground on her own, and we'd only be restricting her if she has to follow me everywhere."

Miss Nekonome paused and considered the idea. "Well, I suppose that does make sense…"

"This is an emergency," I pressed. "It doesn't have to be for any longer than that."

"…alright," she finally answered. "I'll inform the other staff members that Kurumu is free for now." She turned to the blue-haired girl. "But only until this is all sorted out. I'm not authorized to set you free for good. Here, let me give you a pass explaining it…"

Kurumu nodded and I thanked Miss Nekonome after she handed Kurumu the note with her signature and explanation on it. "We'll find her," I said as we ran out the door. I was determined to find Mizore before she could hurt either herself or anybody else and I was ready to spend as much time as needed on all this but…

But we didn't find her.

We spent hours searching for her—both our group and several teachers—but Mizore just wouldn't show up. Even Kurumu, with her temporary freedom and bird's eye view, couldn't locate the snow woman. We had even called Yukari and Ginei, who both helped us for the last hour and a half or so of the search. Mizore's strange disappearing act at the lake completely threw off Ginei's nose, and he couldn't track her down by scent. Evening eventually rolled around, and we were told to head inside. I objected, but the staff was firm. We needed to sleep, and while a few teachers would stay up to look, the rest of the search would continue on the next day.

I barely slept that night. I kept tossing and turning, struggling to get the image of Mizore's crying face out of my head. I knew I'd never forgive myself if she ended up hurting herself. Even if I couldn't truly be blamed for it, I knew that I had a chance to stop her, and so far, I'd failed. The symbiote urged me to sleep, knowing that I'd only exhaust myself if I didn't. I eventually managed to fall asleep, and when the first rays of sunlight signified that morning had come, I was up and out of bed.

There was no school that day. Classes weren't held in observance of some monster holiday, which would have interested me on any other day, if it weren't for the fact that I was desperately trying to find a depressed and unstable girl.

Kurumu, Moka, and I all got up early and met up with the teachers again. Miss Nekonome granted Kurumu another day of freedom so that she could fly unhindered, but just as we were about to leave, the school's gym teacher stomped in through the door.

"Nekonome!" he shouted. "I've got news about your little Shirayuki brat!"

I perked up immediately, but the angry look on the gym teacher's face did little to encourage me.

"Oh!" cried Miss Nekonome. "Mister Kotsubo! What happened?"

"Last night, two of my soccer players were found encased in ice," he growled. I stiffened when I heard him. "If we hadn't found them, they would have frozen to death! Hell, they were practically corpses by the time we got to them!"

Everybody, save for Mister Kotsubo and myself gasped. I, meanwhile, stared at the ground in dread.

 _Mizore…why?_

"Are we certain it was Mizore?" asked Miss Nekonome.

"Name another Mizore who carries this journal with her," said Mister Kotsubo, placing a book on the table. I flinched when I recognized it as the same journal Mizore had shown me when we met. "The thing literally has her name on it, and it's filled with incomprehensible babbling about soul mates, loneliness, and him." He finished the statement by turning to me. "That girl bothered you a lot, huh? Isn't she so _annoying_?"

I frowned. This guy seemed like he really hated Mizore. "Was there anything else at the scene? Anything at all?"

"Besides the giant block of ice that held my soccer players?" he asked. "No. And after that psycho is caught, I've got no doubt that she'll be expelled. This is her second time freezing someone."

"Second?" asked Moka. "What happened the first time?"

"At the beginning of the school year," muttered the gym teacher. "She told a teacher that she loved him. He rejected her, and she nearly froze him to death. She got suspended…"

"And she returned just the other day," I finished as understanding dawned on me.

"Good thing this'll be the last time she returns," said Mister Kotsubo. "She'll be on her way out after we find her."

"But we've gotta find her first," I mumbled as I turned to the door before looking back to Miss Nekonome. "If you guys get to her before us, don't forget to tell me what she says about all this."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked the teacher, cocking her head.

"When you get her side of the story," I clarified. "Tell me what she says. What her reason for attacking was, you know?"

Mister Kotsubo snorted. "As if it matters."

"Of course it matters," I said, frowning. "That's how this is supposed to work. If there's a problem between two groups, you get both sides of the story. For all you know, Mizore just did this in self-defense. I get that she's proven to be a little...violent, but when it comes to dealing out punishments to people, you have to be one hundred percent certain that they're actually guilty of the crime you're accusing them of."

This should have been obvious. Yeah, it might look grim for Mizore, but she was innocent until proven guilty, right? Things weren't always what they seemed.

The gym teacher, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes at me. "You think my soccer players attacked Mizore?"

I shrugged. "My club president turned out to be that peeping tom from a while back. Nobody saw that coming. All I'm saying is that you need to be absolutely certain that Mizore attacked them unprovoked, and not because they tried anything. This school has a lot of crazies, and a lot of them are perverts."

"Tch! Whatever," growled Kotsubo. I could only watch him in confusion as he left.

"Come on," said Moka, tugging on my sleeve. "Let's go." I nodded and followed her out. When we got outside, Moka and I went straight for the woods while Kurumu took to the sky. After we went far enough into the trees, I turned to Moka.

"Alright, I'm going to let your other half out," I explained. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

The inner Moka was both faster and stronger than the outer one. She had a better chance of finding Mizore, given that she could move so much faster, and in case of emergency, she could defend herself far better than the outer vampire I was so used to.

Moka nodded and braced herself as I grabbed the rosary. It came off with a quick tug, and the brilliant light that signified the inner Moka's coming shone throughout the area. A few seconds later, a silver-haired vampire stood before me.

"So, we're still looking for the snow woman?" she asked with a yawn.

"Yes," I confirmed, turning around as the black suit formed around me. "If you find her, try not to knock her out. Try to get her to come quietly."

"What even makes you think we'll find her?" asked Moka, raising an eyebrow. "Nobody could find her yesterday."

I sighed. "Sometimes, people hide because they want someone to come find them. Other times, they do it because they genuinely want to hide. I find it hard to believe that two random students could just…stumble upon Mizore when a dozen teachers and the whatnot couldn't find her after hours of searching. I think she might be coming out of hiding."

Moka remained silent for a few seconds before shrugging. "I suppose that makes some sense. Alright then…good luck."

"Same to you," I replied, jumping away and swinging from the trees. Last time, I had started searching around the school, so this time I'd try the surrounding area. I began my search in the forest, moving through the trees and constantly hoping that the symbiote or I would find Mizore. After roughly an hour of searching with no results, I moved further out, coming to the cliffs.

"Where could she be?" I asked myself as I swung along the tree line, looking out over the red ocean. Nothing. Just crashing waves and crooked cliffs. I bit my lip. Where, _where_ _was she?!_ Was I too late? Did Mizore already…could she have already decided that her life was no longer worth living? She had apparently gone through one rejection, but could she handle a second one?

"If only she had listened," I mumbled. I could have helped her. I could have saved her! I could still do it if only I could find—"

On the cliff!

I gasped at the symbiote's sudden outburst. Whirling around midair, I could see a figure standing on the edge of a cliff in the distance.

 _Good job, symbiote!_

Please, please just let it be her.

I wasted no time in swinging over to the area. I inhaled sharply when I saw the familiar head of purple hair. I wasn't too late! Mizore was still alive!

 _But now I have to talk her down…I can't fail this time._

I landed softly not far from her, the black suit fading as my feet touched the ground. She was staring out over the red ocean, looking exactly like she had when I met her. I gulped as I approached, knowing that this would be a test to see if I could effectively communicate with a damaged girl.

 _I got through to Kurumu, I can do this too. I have to…_

"Mizore," I said quietly, stopping not far behind her. Her shoulders twitched and she turned around, eyeing me with an emotionless expression.

"Peter?"

"Hey," I said, putting on a small smile. "I've been looking for you. There's…there's a lot we need to talk about."

The blank expression never left her face. "What do you want?"

I sighed. "There's a lot of commotion about you right now. The teachers are saying that you attacked two students the other night. Your journal was found at the scene." Mizore said nothing as she continued watching me. "And the teachers want to expel you…."

Her eyes drifted to the ground. "So they're finally going to do it, huh?"

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked gently.

"Why does it matter?" she retorted, looking back up to me. "I didn't matter to you yesterday. Why do you care about what I do now?"

My lips pressed together in a thin line before I let out a breath. "Mizore, I'm…I'm sorry that things turned out that way. I never wanted to hurt you. Please, you've got to understand that I had no clue what to think yesterday. You attacked me, and I thought you were just another crazy student at first."

A barely-noticeable look of hurt passed over her face.

"But I know better now," I continued. "You're _not_ the same as them…you're the same as _me_. Or, the same as I once was; sad and alone. You said something similar yourself, remember?"

She shifted from foot to foot. "I remember…"

"You also told me that you wouldn't let me go, back at the lake, when we first started fighting. Well, now I'm telling you that _I_ won't let _you_ go. Mizore, I can help you, I know I can, and I'm not going to sit back and watch you live like this. We can fix this, but I can't do anything if you don't let me."

I took a step closer.

"You want things to change, right?" I asked. "Well, that can start now. But the chance will be squandered if you get expelled. That can be avoided but you need _to_ _let me help you_."

She looked away, hesitating.

"Mizore, I'm _trying_ here," I pressed. "Those articles I write aren't just there for the sake of filling the paper. I write them to help others, but I'm not afraid to reach out to someone in person. I know you might still be angry about yesterday, I get that you might not trust me, but understand that I had no clue what to make of you yesterday. But I think that I…"

I paused. "I'm capable of understanding you."

 _That_ got her attention. It was working!

"We got off on the wrong foot," I continued. "But you know what? So did Moka and I. We fought when we first met. After she almost ran me over. Kurumu and I fought when we first met too. And don't even get me started on Yukari—have you ever been attacked by a locker full of brooms and buckets? Because that's pretty much how our first interaction went."

Despite the saddened look on her face, some sort of choked giggle escaped the snow woman's lips. I grinned at the sound.

"And yet, even after all that, I admitted to Kurumu that I was willing to die for her and Moka. I haven't known them for that long, but they've still become two very important people in my life. I've known Yukari for even less time, but I'm still completely over the whole 'attacking me with brooms' thing. I don't hold grudges like that."

I was getting through to her! I could _see_ it!

"And I might be the last person here who will be this gentle with you," I added. "The teachers are pretty angry, and they're saying that this isn't the first time you've caused them trouble. So please, talk to me here."

The purple-haired girl's eyes slowly met mine. I recognized several emotions within them; sadness, uncertainty, and…hope. It looked like she was finally starting to realize that I was genuinely interested in her wellbeing.

"You're serious?" she asked quietly. "You really want to help me?"

"I wouldn't joke about something like that," I answered. "I promise you, I'm trying to help. You just have to let me."

Mizore glanced around and, after a pause, spoke. "I froze those two boys…I was angry, and I lost my temper."

I was caught a bit off guard by her statement, but quickly remembered that she was answering my initial question, and regained my composure. "Okay. Now, is that the only reason? Did they attack you or do something to initiate a fight?"

She shook her head. "No. All they did was approach me. I was crying, I was angry, and they bothered me by just being there."

"And? What happened after that?"

"I…defrosted them," she answered, rubbing her shoulder. "I felt bad so I let them out."

Wait, what?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up," I said, holding my hands up. "You let them go? The teachers said that they were found nearly dead!"

Mizore's head snapped up, genuine confusion in her eyes. "What? No, that can't be right. I let them go a few seconds after freezing them; they were never in any real danger. They might have had a bit of a cold, but other than that…"

"Then why'd Mister Kotsubo tell me that his soccer players were half-dead by the time they were found?" I inquired. Somebody was obviously bending the truth here.

The purple-haired girl's eyes widened. "Mister…Kotsubo? He's involved?"

"Yes…" I answered slowly. "They're his soccer players after all. Why?"

Mizore shivered, whispering something under her breath. I leaned in closer. "I'm sorry, can you say that again? I couldn't hear you."

"…he…ested…me…."

"I have no clue what you're saying."

"He...he molested me."

I reeled back.

" _What?_ " I breathed.

He—there was no way—a _teacher_?! A _teacher_ did that?!

"He molested me," Mizore repeated. "I told him I loved him, and he tried to take advantage of me. I froze him to stop him."

My eyes widened when it clicked. "He was the one you froze when the school year started. He was the first incident that you were in." The snow woman nodded. I stepped back, taking the information in. Was Mizore telling the truth? Was Mister Kotsubo really who she said he was.

 _That could be why he was so eager to get her expelled. He wanted to get rid of the only witness…Did he lie about the soccer players? Was he trying to frame Mizore?_

"Why didn't you tell anybody?" I asked.

She snorted humorlessly. "I tried. Nobody believed me. He was the one frozen in a block of ice, and I was the troublesome student who put him there. It was my word against his, and he won."

I slowly brought a hand to my forehead. "My gosh," I whispered. If Mizore was telling the truth, then people had to be warned. This guy had to be exposed! Even if I had no real proof yet, a potentially corrupt teacher was still something that needed to be investigated, especially considering the nature of what Mizore had just described. Even if it was a lie, I couldn't just ignore it.

"Mizore, we need to get this information to the staff," I said seriously. "For all we know, you might not be the first person this guy has targeted, and you might not be the last."

"I told you, I tried," she insisted. "Your word can't win against a teacher's. You'll just make yourself known to him, and he might try something. Just don't bother with him…"

"That's where you're wrong," I replied. "Your word might not mean much to the teachers after what happened, but I've gained a respectable reputation with them. If I come to them insisting that they investigate Mister Kotsubo, they'll take me more seriously. They trust me. They made me Kurumu's guardian, after all."

Mizore blinked. "Her what?"

I waved it off. "Long story. My point is that we need to get this information—both about Kotsubo and you defrosting the boys—to the teachers. They need to know the whole story."

Company.

I stiffened when the symbiote suddenly interjected, warning me of yet another approaching presence. Mizore gave me a confused look when she saw my expression, tilting her head to the side. "What's wrong?"

I slowly turned around while Mizore looked over my shoulder. I heard her gasp when we both laid eyes on none other than Yōkai Academy's gym teacher, Okuto Kotsubo, approaching us with an annoyed, yet dark look on his face.

"Geez Shirayuki," he muttered when he got close enough for us to hear. "You just had to go and tell him, didn't you?"

My eyes narrowed. He had been listening in, hadn't he?

"And after all that trouble I had to go through to keep it quiet," he continued, cracking his neck with a sigh. His eyes slowly opened, fixating on the uneasy girl behind me. "You just go and ruin it. As if freezing me wasn't enough, now you're trying to get me fired."

I raised an eyebrow at the behavior. He was basically admitting that Mizore was telling the truth, but why?

Because he knows he's already losing.

I blinked at the symbiote's logic. If this guy had overheard our conversation, then he knew that I was planning on taking this to the other teachers and having them investigate him. If he was coming out like this, then it was very possible that he wasn't sure if his secret would stay hidden when people began asking questions.

I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. And since the teachers trusted me, Coach Kotsubo here knew that eyebrows would be raised if I walked in claiming that he needed to be investigated. Unlike with Mizore, they'd listen to one of their top students when he said that something was wrong. And if the gym teacher wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his dark deed under wraps, then he'd probably…

Kotsubo cracked his knuckles next. "Don't take this personally Peter," he called. "Shirayuki was the one that dragged you into this, and I can't exactly just let you go now. Knowing you, you'd get involved, stuff would happen, blah, blah, blah, and the end result wouldn't be very good for me. So…"

A sinister grin broke out across his face.

"I'm afraid you have to die."

I instinctively slid in between Kotsubo and Mizore. I knew she wasn't defenseless or anything, but this still felt like a necessary move. "They'll let just about anyone be a teacher these days," I mumbled while bending my knees, the black suit enveloping me.

"Peter," Mizore whispered while the coach began walking over to us, the dark grin still on his face. "If we fight him, he'll just try to play the victim again."

"He'll kill us if we don't do something," I responded, my eyes still glued to the advancing man.

"We'll get expelled if we do," said Mizore. "If the teachers believe his story over yours, we'll _both_ get kicked out—or worse."

I paused at the thought. I was confident that my word could hold its own against Kotsubo's, and with Mizore around to back up my story, it'd only strengthen the argument. But if it couldn't…

"Well then, if we get expelled, I might have to stick with you for a while. I don't exactly have anywhere else to go, seeing as home is an ocean away and I don't have a job to pay for the trip," I said with a shrug.

"But—"

Whatever Mizore was going to say was cut short when a series of giant purple tentacles burst from Kotsubo. I blinked at the abruptness of the transformation, stepping back slightly when the massively long limbs swung around. Some sort of octopus head began forming just at the back of Kotsubo's neck, stretching out over his back like some sort of rucksack. An elongated tongue flicked past his lips, which seemed to be housing rows of sharpened teeth.

I stared at the multi-armed maniac for a few seconds. "Huh," I muttered. "Hello nostalgia."

If this guy was anything like the Ock I knew, then we had a dangerous opponent on our hands. For a second, I contemplated telling Mizore to make a run for it, but then a memory quickly played itself out in my mind. The memory of me almost dying after being reckless and vastly underestimating Nagare. I glanced at the snow woman at my side.

 _She's not just some random girl. She can fight too. It would be dangerous but…_

"Hey," I said quietly. "What do you say we take this guy down? I'll be with you the whole time."

Mizore looked right back at me. "You think we can take him?"

"I have no idea," I replied honestly. "I've never encountered this particular species, and I don't know how strong is it, so I'd be lying if I said I knew for a fact that I could beat him, but I know we stand a better chance if it's the two of us versus him."

Mizore hesitated, glancing between me and the grinning octopus standing not far from us. Slowly, she brought her hands up, icy claws forming on them. "Let's do it," she said.

I smirked beneath my mask.

 _Symbiote, time for some action._

The alien gave me the mental equivalent of an excited grin and a nod.

The coach, meanwhile, chuckled at us while beginning to jog forward. "I knew it'd eventually come to this," he began, grinning widely. "I'll drag you down, Shirayuki!"

He roared as he swung a massive tentacle at us. Mizore and I dove in different directions as the limb crash into the ground where we once stood with enough force to shatter the stone. I took note of the power behind the attack.

 _Those arms might not be metal, but they can still pack a punch._

A pair of tentacles shot at both me and Mizore. I jumped through them, noticing Mizore raise a wall of ice to protect herself from the corner of my eye. I weaved through a series of attacks aimed at me until I had a clear shot at the coach. I shot a web line directly into his chest, jerking him off balance and yanking myself towards him. Before he could react, I drove my fist into his stomach, eliciting a pained grunt from him and sending him skidding back several feet.

I was forced to jump back, however, when all of his arms swung at me simultaneously. I backpedaled away, eventually finding myself at Mizore's side as Kotsubo straightened out.

"You'd hit a teacher?" he asked through clenched teeth, though the cocky smirk was still present. "You're not quite the perfect student everybody thinks you are."

I shrugged. "Sorry, I've got this habit of punching octopi. And rapists. You kinda fit both, so…"

He chuckled. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

I rolled my eyes and turned to Mizore. "Is it weird that I'm completely unsurprised by the sight of an angry octopus man trying to kill me?"

She blinked at me. "What?"

"Yeah, that sounds like what a rational person might say in response."

Spider-sense.

I dashed to the side, grabbing Mizore as I went to avoid being crushed by another tentacle that had come crashing down again. The snow woman, to her credit, almost didn't miss a beat as she fired several large icicles from her sleeve at Kotsubo. "Make sure to avoid lethal strikes," I warned. "We're both screwed if he dies."

"I know that!" Mizore shouted as she continued pelting Kotsubo with her ice. The octopus-thing used his tentacles to shield himself from the Mizore's barrage, which gave me an idea.

"Don't stop!" I yelled as I put Mizore down and charged at Kotsubo. With his tentacles wrapped tightly around himself, he didn't have the time to see me coming, and I jumped over him, showering him with webbing.

"What the—?!" he roared as he suddenly found all his tentacles stuck in place, leaving him in awkward position with all his limbs wrapped around himself. He began struggling instantly, and I could already see the webbing begin to tear. I landed behind him and slammed into him with my shoulder, sending him tumbling forward and landing in a heap.

Mizore, meanwhile, slammed her foot on the ground, causing a trail of large icy growths to start erupted from the ground in a line heading straight for Kotsubo. As the enraged gym teacher finally stood up, one of the icy pillars slammed into his face, sending him flying into the air.

I shot a web line into his back, jerking him down and slamming him into the ground, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. He grunted as the air left his lungs—or whatever an octopus-man used for breathing. Mizore was by my side by the time Kotsubo was on his feet, and we met his glare without so much as a flinch.

"Damn brats," he hissed. "I was going to make it quick, but now I think I'll take my time you."

"'I'll take my time with you', he says as he realizes that this will take a while," I chuckled.

Kotsubo gritted his teeth. "That attitude of yours is obnoxious," he growled. "I think somebody needs to teach you a lesson."

"There's a line of about two-hundred people who've told me the same thing," I shot back.

The gym teacher was practically burning with rage by this point. The guy clearly had anger issues. "Shut UP!" he roared as he moved to grab us. I jumped out of the way while Mizore used her ice pillars to launch herself into the air. The tentacles missed me by a long shot, but slammed right into Mizore's ice, shattering it. She jerked in surprise when she lost her footing, but a blast of freezing wind from her palms and a little fancy maneuvering had her land on the ground safely.

A dark shadow was passing over Kotsubo's face as he looked between us. "I'll drag _both_ of you into the ocean!" he shouted. "And I'm going to enjoy every second of it!" More tentacles shot after Mizore and I, forcing us to backpedal to avoid the thrashing limbs. Given that they weren't made of metal, they moved faster than Doc Ock's had, which kept me on my toes.

One tentacle, however, managed to wrap around Mizore's foot. She gasped as her leg was jerked out from under her, and Kotsubo wasted no time in whirling around, dragging her across the ground to him in less than a second. He roared as he threw her over the edge of the cliff.

"Crap," I hissed as I leapt after her and sent myself flying through the air. Time seemed to slow down as I sailed over the edge of the cliff after Mizore, one hand reaching out towards her while the other towards the tentacle that had held her. A web line shot from each wrist, one attaching to Mizore and one to the tentacle. The world zoomed back into full speed as I yanked Mizore back, looping an arm around her waist and swinging from the web line attached to Kotsubo's tentacle. My feet just barely skimmed the water, and I completed the swing, sending Mizore and myself flying into the air.

"Now, hit him now!" I shouted, releasing the web line and using my now-free hand to fire impact webbing at the shocked octopus while holding on to Mizore. She picked up quickly, and began firing bursts of icicles at him. It was all Kotsubo could do to block our combined attack, and by the time we were halfway to the ground, he was already struggling under a sheet of ice and webbing.

The stone shattered beneath my feet as I landed, making sure to hold Mizore higher up so that she wouldn't hit the ground with me. The second I put her down, we both charged forward, forcing our way past Kotsubo's frozen and entangled tentacles until we were directly in front of him. Both Mizore and I held our hands low to the ground, and Kotsubo's eyes widened as we each brought a fist up at the same time in a powerful uppercut, connecting with the gym teacher's jaw. The force of both our punches landing sent Kotsubo rocketing into the air, leaving a trail of broken ice and torn webbing in his wake. I watched as a chipped, pointy tooth fell to the ground at our feet.

"Man, this guy will be out of a job _and_ out of teeth by the end of the day," I said with a grin. This was reminding me so much of New York and my various battles with Doc Ock, and you know what?

It felt amazing.

It felt like home.

Somehow, Kotsubo managed to drag himself to his feet, wobbling unsteadily as he wiped the blood from his lips and chin. "You…little…brats," he panted. "I'll…make sure…you…pay!"

I rolled my eyes.

"The other will never—urk—believe you," hissed the gym teacher while still shaking. "They'll never…believe that…troublesome brat!" He pointed an accusing finger at Mizore. "If you survive this, y-you'll get expelled for sure!"

"It's your word against ours," Mizore commented. "And there are two of us this time."

"But you have no evidence," said Kotsubo, slowly regaining his ability to speak normally. "I'm the injured one here! As far as I'm concerned, I found you crying out here, and you attacked me in a fit of delusional rage, and your boyfriend here decided to help you. I've got the scars to prove I was attacked—all you have is your untrustworthy word and Peter's. That won't win against cold hard evidence."

"Then how about three arguments against one?" asked a new voice.

Kotsubo stiffened and I blinked when a familiar vampire casually strolled out from behind a tree.

"Because as far as I'm concerned," said Moka. "I just listened to you make up an entire story to save your sorry hide."

Mizore inhaled sharply when she saw the vampire, while the coach's eyes widened. "Who are you? How long have you been there?!" he asked frantically.

"Long enough to hear you trying to cover something up by blaming it on the snow woman and Peter," Moka said while crossing her arms before turning to me. "I'd say you look like you could use a hand, but it seems that you're got things under control."

"No, no, please, join us," I said cheerfully. "We were just about to play 'pin the crime on the criminal'. It's great with three players."

Moka chuckled, walking forward as she cracked her knuckles. "That sounds delightful. So what, may I ask, is his story?" she asked, jerking her head towards a nervous-looking Kotsubo.

"Sex offender, pervert, liar, and all around loser," I said. "So, basically Nagare. He's even got the whole 'broken teeth' thing down."

The vampire grinned. "Wonderful. I could really use a stretch after all this time. Too bad he's already on his last legs." She shrugged. "Oh well, I can still enjoy this."

Kotsubo frantically looked between the three of us as we all began advancing. Moka's grin widened and she charged forward, closing the distance between herself and Kotsubo before he could react. She cocked her leg back, giving the coach only a second for his eyes to widen.

"KNOW!" she roared, slamming her foot into him and sending him into the sky. Almost on instinct, I leapt after Kotsubo, shooting a pair of web lines at him. They attaching to his legs, and I flipped in the air, gaining momentum and throwing the corrupt teacher at the ground.

"YOUR!" I shouted.

Mizore stood beneath us, glaring at Kotsubo as he plummeted towards her. Raising her hand, she slammed it into the ground, creating a small field of snow that covered the stone at her feet, and sending an ice pillar rocketing up to meet Kotsubo. She seemed to catch on to what Moka and I were trying to accomplish, because while the pillar rose into the air, Mizore finished our taunting shout.

"PLACE!" she finished as the pillar slammed into Kotsubo's stomach. His jaw dropped and his eyes became unfocused as he seemed to just stare off into the distance. The ice pillar shattered and he dropped to the ground, unmoving and unconscious. I landed not far from him, and the three of us crowded around the teacher. We must have stood over him for a good minute or two before, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mizore looking down at Kotsubo with a blank expression. "Hey," I asked gently. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine," she said softly.

I gently bumped her shoulder. "We're going to make sure this guy gets exposed," I assured. "You still need to answer for freezing those boys, but I don't think you'll get expelled now. And the coach here will get what's coming to him. You'll be getting the justice that you deserve."

She nodded silently, not taking her eyes off the unmoving octopus—or whatever Kotsubo was. Actually…

"Hey, Moka," I began. "Do you know what this guy even is?"

"A Kraken, if I'm not mistaken," she answered. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

I took another look at the corrupt teacher, frowning at the mere thought of a staff member being no better than people like Nagare and Saizou. It was pathetic, really.

"Well," I mumbled, reaching down and picking up the Kraken. "He's not going expose himself now. We need to get this guy to the teachers and tell them what happened."

Moka sighed. "Which means that I will be needed to help support your accounts of what happened." She shook her head. "I had hoped to avoid the aftermath of all these situations…"

I shrugged. "Sorry, but it seems as though you'll need to stick around this time."

"Unfortunately," mumbled Moka before shaking her head. "I'm going to go ahead and inform the teachers that you are coming. We don't need them attacking the two of you thinking you did this to a teacher in a fit of rage or anything of the sort."

"Thanks Moka," I said with a smile. "I appreciate it."

The vampire nodded and moved on ahead, leaving Mizore and I to walk at a far slower pace while I carried Kotsubo. "That was Moka Akashiya's true form?" the snow woman asked after a minute of walking.

"Yeah," I replied. "Not what you expected, is it?"

"Not at all," she mumbled. "She's…different like this. Almost another person."

"It technically is," I said with a chuckle.

Mizore turned to me in confusion, but before she could ask, I shook my head. "I'll explain later. Right now, we've got to deal with the issues at hand. Namely this guy and the boys you froze."

Mizore's head fell slightly. "I regret that…"

"Look on the bright side," I began as the black suit faded and was replaced by the school uniform. "All this led to Mister Kotsubo getting exposed." I paused before turning to Mizore. "You know, maybe we were meant to meet. Kotsubo would have gone unnoticed if it weren't for you and me running into each other."

She blinked before looking off, seemingly contemplating the idea. "Yeah," I heard her whisper. "Maybe…"

The rest of the day could only be described as 'hectic beyond belief'. Bringing in an unconscious teacher was one thing, but the moment I claimed that he had attempted to molest Mizore, things really started going crazy. The fact that Mizore was right there with me made things no better for the staff, seeing as their impressions of Mizore weren't that positive.

Explaining what had happened between the teacher, Mizore, and I was a chore in and of itself. Everyone involved was brought in for questioning. That group consisted of Mizore and me, along with Kurumu and Moka. Between the stories provided by Mizore, myself, and the inner Moka, and all of our accounts matching each other perfectly, we were able to get Kotsubo exposed. This was due in no small part to the fact that he apparently had a reputation for staring at girls of all ages at this school without shame.

And my reputation with Yōkai's staff helped too, of course.

Mizore had been taken to be dealt with in regards to what she had done to those two boys, but what had happened to her, I didn't know yet.

It had been midday or so when we brought Kotsubo in, but by the time we all plopped down in our seats in our clubroom, it was nearly midnight.

"I'm exhausted," I breathed. "I felt like I've talked for hours." Much of the time was also spent waiting in between interrogations.

"I know what you mean," groaned Kurumu, her eyelids already beginning to sink.

"Geez, you guys are like a bunch of old farts," Yukari said with a chuckle. She hadn't been involved in any of this to nearly the same degree as the rest of us, so she barely had to do anything.

"Care to repeat that?" growled a certain silver-haired vampire. Yukari let out a quiet 'eep' and ducked behind her hat.

"N-no ma'am!" she said nervously.

I smiled at the exchange. The inner Moka was still here because we had literally _just_ finished with the various interrogations that we had to go through, and the proud vampire wanted to drop off her body at the clubroom, as we were told to wait there.

"Anyway," continued Moka. "I believe I'm done for the day. I believe it high time the other Moka takes over. I'm going to go get some well-deserved sleep."

"See ya Moka," I said with a nod. "Thanks for all your help today. Seriously, I don't know how this would've turned out if you didn't back up our story as well." She nodded right back in response, and clipped the rosary back into its original position. Her body slumped for a second, and soon, the pink-haired outer Moka sat in her place, her eyes shut and her expression peaceful.

"She'll wake up in a minute or two," I said before leaning back and shutting my eyes. "She always does."

I was more grateful to her for what she did today than she probably realized. Had things gone differently, Mizore and I might have been on our way out of Yōkai, and I would have been in a pretty uncomfortable position. I glanced at the rosary as the glow died away, knowing that the inner Moka was finally getting a chance to rest in that rosary of hers.

Where she'd probably stay for the next few weeks.

I slowly blinked at the thought. Yes, she was tired now, but I had realized that the inner Moka almost never made an appearance. Whenever she did show up, it was only when there was a problem that we needed help solving.

I had never called her out to give her some time to enjoy herself.

 _That's no way to live…_

I felt a pang of guilt. So far, I had been the only one to demonstrate the ability to remove Moka's rosary. I had no clue if the others could, but I knew that Moka herself couldn't free her inner half. And yet, despite being able to free her, I almost never did. Was she bothered by that? Was she annoyed that I only ever let her out to help us with our problems, or to get revenge on someone as had been the case with Ginei?

I didn't know, but what I did know was that, even if we got off to a rocky start, the inner Moka had proven that she wasn't a bad person. Was she aggressive? Yes. Proud? Yes. Maybe a little arrogant? Possibly. But was she evil? No. Should she have to sit inside a jewel until the next time we need her to help us with something? No.

I looked back at the outer Moka's resting form, taking particular interest in her rosary. Somewhere in there was an actual person, who I had the power to free. And I felt as though I had been neglecting her. I wasn't sure how she felt about the matter, but I knew that I couldn't just sit back and forget about her after this realization.

I'd offer her the chance to come out and socialize. I had no idea if she would actually enjoy coming out for the sake of coming out, but I wanted to at least give her a choice. For now, however, I'd let her rest.

We sat together for a few more minutes. Moka had woken up just as I had predicted, and thanks to her connection with the outside world through her rosary, she already knew exactly what was going on. And not long after she woke up, we heard a knock at the door. Miss Nekonome poked her head in a second later. "Hello Newspaper Club," she said with a smile.

"Hey Miss Nekonome!" Yukari said cheerfully. "How did it go?" The rest of us responded with either grunts or waves. The cat-eared teacher walked in, her usual optimistic attitude ever-present.

"Splendidly!" she said with a smile. "Mister Kotsubo has been exposed, and the two boys who Mizore had frozen will be alright."

"And Mizore herself?" I asked. "What's going to happen to her?"

"Well, seeing as she _did_ attack two innocent students," Miss Nekonome began. "She's still receiving a punishment. She'll be serving a series of detentions, but it's nothing too extreme. Far more fitting than being expelled, if you ask me."

I nodded. That seemed like it was fairer than what Kotsubo had in mind. "Is she going to get any form of counseling?" I asked. "I think it might be beneficial for her. She's been through a lot of…emotionally taxing situations, it seems."

The teacher sighed. "We're still working on that, but rest assured, Miss Shirayuki is doing very well. In fact…" Miss Nekonome turned around. "Mizore, dear, would you please come in here?"

The rest of us perked up as the door slowly opened, and a bashful-looking Mizore walked in. The first thing I noticed about her was the fact that her hair was significantly shorter. And it seemed the others had noticed as well.

"Your hair," Moka commented. "It's different."

The snow woman smiled. "It feels a bit cheesy to say it, but I felt like I had been…reborn, in a way. I thought I'd start off with a new hairstyle. I did it myself. What do you guys think?"

"I think it looks really nice," Yukari cheered. I nodded in agreement while standing.

"I'm glad you feel new," I said. "What did I tell you? Things would change, and they did." Mizore smiled and nodded before holding out her hand. I blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Let me see your hand," she said softly. I glanced at Miss Nekonome, who urged me on.

"She wants to give you something," she whispered from by the door. Cocking my head, I reached out, and Mizore took my hand in hers. A second later, a cold feeling spread throughout my fingers and a small cloud of pale-blue mist surrounded my hand. The symbiote was a little surprised by the sudden cold, but remained quiet.

Mizore slowly pulled her hands away, and I saw what looked like a ring made of ice on my middle finger. "It's a symbol of friendship," Mizore explained. "It's a way of showing that I'll never try to hurt you again, or those you care about. It might not mean that much to you, but in snow woman culture, it has a deep meaning that words can't match. This ice is also magical in nature, so it won't harm you in any way or melt unless under extreme heat, so you don't have to worry about it just falling apart on your finger."

I looked down at the icy jewel. It was the same color as the mist that had surrounded my hand moment earlier—a very pale shade of blue. "It's beautiful," I said in complete honesty. It was simplistic in design, but held an elegance that metals—no matter how rare—just couldn't match.

"Think of it as my way of apologizing," Mizore continued before looking at the others. "To all of you. I'll never harm any of you again."

They hesitated, but I could see that they were seriously considering her apology. I knew that there would, at least, not be any grudges held against Mizore. The girl in question then proceeded to turn back to me, and I grunted in surprise when I felt a pair of cold arms wrap around my shoulders. "And …thank you," Mizore whispered. "For everything."

In that moment of surprise, I wasn't sure how to react, but Miss Nekonome snapped me out of it with her reaction. "Awww!" she cooed. "That's adorable!"

Ignoring the strange pout Moka was giving me, I smiled.

"You're welcome, Mizore."

 **A/N:** _FINALLY! Good grief that chapter took ages! Guys, I am so sorry that it took this long to get Mizore's chapter out. I just couldn't seem to get this whole thing right, and I kept rewriting and redoing scenes (some of which never made it in). I didn't want to present you all with a half-baked Mizore chapter, especially seeing as she's such an awesome character. But hey, now you guys get a 16k word chapter, Mizore, and a setup for future Inner Moka/Peter interactions. Hopefully, next time, it won't take me five billion years to get the next chapter out._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Peter's Articles:** _I know that Peter is more a photographer and less of a writer, but seeing as the Yōkai Gazette doesn't exactly have a surplus of people working on it, I thought it'd be appropriate for Peter to have to write something to fill up the paper. Given his personality, I figured it'd make sense if he tried to reach out to the weak and depressed, especially since he can relate and since bullies at Yōkai are so extreme. Plus, it allowed me to stick a little closer to canon for Mizore, which saves a bit of time on having to think up an alternate plot line. That and I wanted to have a reason for Mizore to really try to stick around with Peter and the others, and following canon gave her that reason._

 **Peter and Mizore vs. Kotsubo:** _Could Peter do it alone? Yes. Could he have sped up the process? Yes. But he needs to feed the symbiote, and adrenaline comes from a crazy fight, so Peter drags them out a bit. As for why I had Mizore join in on the action; I wanted to show that Peter learned from his mistake against Nagare, and didn't want to underestimate a potentially deadly opponent. Is it like him to ask for help? Maybe, maybe not, but he knew that Mizore was no pushover, and he knew that she'd be chased down if he didn't win the fight against Kotsubo, so he decided to work with everybody's favorite snow woman. Plus, Mizore can fend for herself, and I didn't want to turn this into a 'Peter rescues everybody' story._

 **Peter's 'Speech':** _I know it might get old to see Peter talking down the monster girls, but I'm not doing it to make them like him. It's just something I think he would try the moment he sees they're not actually evil and if he thinks he has a chance of knocking some sense into them with words alone. So far, they've always had to show that they're different in order for Peter to actually try to reason with them, which is why he doesn't do this for everybody he meets. On top of that, fighting Mizore would literally have done nothing. He knew that talking would have worked better._

 **The Ring:** _Not canon, as far as I'm concerned, but it beats having to write a massive apology scene at the end of the chapter. Mizore isn't the type to talk a lot either, and since her kind seem to specialize in creating things from ice, I figured that it'd make sense if snow women placed some sort of significance in giving someone something you made from your own ice._

 **Peter's Realization:** _It might seem a bit random, but realizations like this can hit you out of the blue. Before anybody asks, no, I didn't just come up with the idea at random and disguise it as Peter's random idea. I honestly wanted Peter to bring Inner Moka out for the sake of bringing her out long ago, and this idea came to me way back during the first chapters, but I thought it might be a bit more appropriate for him to realize it later on and feel guilty over 'neglecting' Inner Moka._

 **Overconfident Peter:** _He's a teenager. He's less experienced than an adult Spidey, and the fact that he's been mopping the floor with almost everyone he's met so far left him a little cocky. He made a mistake, he realized it, he identified it, he rectified it. Simple as that._


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series or cover art involved with this story._

 **LunarShadow 1906:** _Yeah, he kinda is._

 **Pyromania101:** _There was a scene where Peter removed the rosary. It was right after Kotsubo's entry._

 **Zboy2:** _Peter does research on monsters, yeah, but not in public. Kotsubo was just one of those species he never heard of yet. And thanks! You're awesome too!_

 **Laxard:** _Glad to hear it. Well, the rule is to stay in human form, except for during special circumstances, and last chapter had some pretty special circumstances…oh, and I'm not sure I understood your question. "Hang a gun on the wall"? What?_

 **Catter the Mad:** _It is pretty dark, I agree._

 **I Be Random:** _I think I heard that on Death Battle or something, actually._

 **Zeemz:** _Thanks! I'll try to explore some of the things you mentioned, but it might be a little while before we really get into it._

 **6tailedninja:** _I'm glad you enjoyed it! Interesting comparison to Clark you've got there._

 **theallaroundnerd:** _I thought about doing that, but at the same time, Peter doesn't seem like the type to make perverted jokes—especially ones concerning rape. As for what's next, just read on :)_

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Awesome!_

 **SonicFan12:** _Oh gosh…wow, I never knew that. I checked the link though—poor Peter :(_

 **Drunkle Qrow:** _Yeah, Mizore's pretty popular._

 **Croniklerx/Arachnophile801:** _I replied to your review/PMs with more PMs. If you haven't already, check your inbox._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _Your particular questions will be answered with time. You'll just have to wait and see :)_

 **WolfKnight:** _Hope you keep enjoying it!_

 **supersoper:** _I'm still debating, but I know that more symbiotes would be awesome. We'll have to keep going and see how this all plays out._

 **cody. a. c. smith:** _Thanks man! I'm glad you're enjoying it so much. Great pun, by the way :)_

 **ZFighter18:** _Wow…just, wow. I didn't know he could move THAT fast. I knew he was strong, but wow, that speed is something new._

 **coldblue:** _That's an accurate description of him, yeah. I agree that the teachers might notice his ability to help those with emotional problems, and hey, you never know, maybe they'll set him up with some new assignments? Again, I agree with you on the topic of Inner Moka. The way she was treated wasn't fair for some time, so hopefully Peter can offer her the hand of friendship. For Mizore, you described her perfectly, and I applaud that. The ring doesn't really have any special powers, but like Mizore said, it has deep meaning in her culture. Now, for your questions: 1) Well, probably not, seeing as he has his hands full, but he definitely loves helping people. 2) Yes, she'll get the attention she deserves. 3) Possibly, I'm not sure yet. 4) That will be addressed later on, so I won't spoil it here. 5) Interesting idea, though I'm not sure how that would work. The chance of him coming to a school that's hidden is pretty low, but it's an interesting idea nonetheless. As usual, your suggestions were interesting and unique, and I'm especially intrigued by the whole counselor thing. I might try something with that…anyway, sorry that this reply is so short, but I don't want to make the word count too big by bloating it with replies. Alright then, tell me if I missed anything, and enjoy the new chapter!_

 **Tobias97:** _Thanks :)_

 **Dazzle:** _You're welcome!_

 **Red Rain17:** _I will respond to your reviews with a PM to avoid bloating the word count with replies. I'll do it as soon as I can, seeing as I'm exhausted after editing this chapter. Keep an eye on your inbox._

 **Server lock:** _This is a reply to all your reviews: yeah, Moka's attachment to a single person isn't exactly 'normal'. Kurumu's plan was changed to make it more original and to make it seem like more of an attempt at saving her race. I never wanted to make her seem less crazy, because she is pretty crazy, and I didn't mean to seem like I was patting myself on the back. Regardless, I'm glad you're enjoying the story and the way I treat its characters, and I hope it stays interesting for you :)_

 **Dragon22:** _You're welcome. Yeah, Peter is a fast guy, I agree, and his spider-sense really does make him very hard to hit._

 **A/N:** _It took me five billion years to make this chapter, didn't it? Gosh dang it. Oh well, moving on: a cookie to the one who can tell me what's new this chapter. Two cookies to the one who suggested it._

 **MANGA-BASED CHAPTER INBOUND.**

* * *

 **-Chapter 15: Stones, Spiders, and Vampires-**

The golden light of the sun filtered through the window, bathing my desk in its glow and illuminating the paper in my hands. I smiled to myself as I read the words written on it for what felt like the millionth time. The letter itself had come some time ago, but every once in a while, I'd look at it and just enjoy the fact that I could see the results of my direct influence in somebody's life.

The letter was, of course, about Mizore Shirayuki.

The snow woman had started seeing a social worker here at Yōkai Academy. The counselor worked with a few students like Mizore—those who had emotional problems and other issues, but weren't downright malicious like Saizou or Tamao. From what the letter told me, the counselor had been investigated thoroughly before receiving her job, so she was definitely clean, unlike Doc Ock's fleshier cousin from not long ago.

I hadn't had the opportunity to really talk with Mizore yet, as she still had her detentions to serve, and those, along with the counseling sessions, had prevented us from getting in contact. However, I expected to hear from her soon. I had a feeling that the moment she was free, she'd come back again. But until she did, I could always enjoy looking down at the letter telling me how well Mizore was doing now. It was direct proof of my actions changing someone's life, and it left me with a feeling that I had begun to crave since becoming Spider-Man.

The feeling of knowing that I had made a _difference_. That what I did _mattered_.

"—ello? Earth to Peter," giggled a bubbly voice. I snapped out of my detached state when a pale, smiling face entered my field of view.

"Oh, sorry Moka," I said with a sheepish grin. "Spacing out again. Did you need something?"

"I brought some snacks," she replied. "Do you want anything?"

"Uh," I mumbled, looking into a plastic bag of candies and other small foods that Moka was holding out to me. "Yeah, sure, I'll take the chocolate bar, I guess." I grabbed the snack in question, nodding to Moka and saying a quiet 'thanks' as she moved to offer Yukari and Kurumu food too.

"Thanks," said the succubus after she had grabbed a granola bar of sorts from the bag. She opened it and took a bite before speaking again. "So, Moka, for the assignment in art, what did you paint?"

Ah right. Art class currently had us painting what was important to us.

"Oh," Moka began, rubbing the back of her head as her cheeks took on a shade of red. "Well, uh, I'm keeping it a secret for when I finish." Kurumu raised an eyebrow before shrugging and turning to me.

"What about you?" she asked. "What did you paint?"

"I think I might start over with mine, actually," I said with a chuckle. "I'm not the greatest artist, and a blank canvas and a fresh start with the painting might do me some good."

The succubus chuckled. "I can give you a few pointers on painting, if you'd like."

"You know what they say about blind guides," Yukari whispered to Moka. I could practically _hear_ Kurumu twitching.

"Oh?" she asked with faked kindness. "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Your paintings suck."

Moka and I both snorted simultaneously at the exchange.

"They do not!" Kurumu growled.

"Your cake looks like a football!" Yukari shot back.

"It wasn't a cake _or_ a football, it was a—"

"My point exactly."

"Why you little brat!"

I chortled quietly. For the stupidest of reasons, Kurumu and Yukari had begun to develop some sort of rivalry. The whole thing started not long ago when the little witch called Kurumu dumb for failing an assignment that she considered easy. Kurumu had, of course, responded to the insult, and the argument eventually turned into some sort of competition between the two, and it could turn into both stupid and hilarious arguments. The insults always seemed to be good-natured in the end, and I doubted that there were any real negative feelings going around.

"They're silly," Moka giggled. I could only smile at her words, nodding in agreement. However, I found my eyes drifting down toward the rosary, and a familiar feeling of guilt hit me. Unfortunately, I hadn't had the opportunity to talk to the two vampires about letting the inner Moka out yet. Even though it had been nearly a week since Kotsubo's defeat and my guilty realization, I just hadn't found the time. The last few days had been nonstop work. We had been preparing for another exam in math, doing a massive project in science, and were spending our free time working on our newspaper to try and cover the incident with Mister Kotsubo.

And if that weren't all enough, we still occasionally got called down by the staff for extra details on what transpired with the gym teacher and the whatnot. It would have been simpler if it weren't for schoolwork getting in the way, but every once in a while, you just had those weeks when classes piled work on top of you all at once and it took all your energy to keep up with everything.

But yesterday, we had finally finished the newspaper issue, this morning we had the math exam, and tomorrow was the day the science project was due, and I was done and ready to present it. We were finally getting the problems off of our backs, and today was our first day with any real free time.

And it was the day I planned to offer the inner Moka a chance to socialize. I'd tell her my plan, and see if she was willing to try and come out.

I wanted to make sure I had permission from _both_ of them when it came to removing the rosary for something like this, but with us so busy the last few days, I never had the chance to talk to Moka. But with that all out of the way, I could finally talk to them about possibly letting out Moka's inner personality out for something other than combat.

I just wanted to give ourselves a little time alone to talk about it.

"Guys, I've got news!"

I jerked in surprise when I was abruptly—and loudly—torn from my thoughts as Ginei burst into the room, holding several papers in his hand. He slammed them down on a desk as he ran in before walking over to the blackboard and grabbing a piece of chalk.

"Hello to you too, Ginei," I said with a raised eyebrow, planting my hands on a counter by the window and hopping up. "Nice of you to join us. It's only been, what, an hour since the rest of us got here?"

"I've got a reason!" Ginei exclaimed, still writing.

"Is everything alright?" asked Moka.

The answer came a second later when Ginei stepped back, underlining the words he had written on the blackboard.

'Missing Girls Case'.

I blinked, leaning in as Ginei grabbed the papers and began passing them out. "The teachers have recently released this information to the public, and we're going to be covering it for our next issue. I know today is our day off, but I thought I'd get this stuff out for you guys now."

I picked up a paper, my eyes widening when I saw pictures of _seven_ different girls, and all were declared missing. "What the?" I breathed. " _Seven? Seven_ girls are missing? Why are we just now hearing about it?!"

Ginei crossed his arms. "The faculty tried to keep it quiet to avoid causing mass panic and to try and figure out just what was going on, but with the amount of girls missing and the threat it poses, the teachers finally let the info out."

Seven people were gone. Seven people missing. This was definitely something I planned on looking into.

"Those poor girls," Moka whispered.

"I wonder what happened to them…" Yukari mumbled. "And what kind of sicko is Yōkai Academy dealing with now?"

"The kind that needs to be stopped," I said firmly. "The Yōkai Gazette will get this information out, but if whoever is doing this is going to be stopped, more will have to be done."

"You're getting involved?" Ginei asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," I answered while studying the images of the missing girls. The first, and most obvious, similarity was that they were all girls. Beyond that, however, there were no repeating patterns. Hair and eye colors didn't indicate any pattern, nor did any other discernible facial features.

I frowned while Yukari, Moka, and Kurumu discussed this among themselves. Was there even a pattern? Or was this just some random creep abducting pretty girls?

I blinked. Wait. Pretty girls.

"Huh," I mumbled quietly. All the girls reported missing were undeniably attractive, and given Yōkai's track record of housing perverts and the like…

"Hey guys," I called, gaining their attention. "Come take a look at this."

"What've you got?" asked Ginei as he walked over.

"Yōkai's got its fair share of perverts and dirty creeps, right?" I began while pointing at the paper. "What if this is just another perv kidnapping girls? They're all really pretty—"

"You noticed that too?" Ginei asked with a grin. I shot him a glare before continuing.

"—so this might be just another case of some unpopular guy trying to get the girls he likes," I finished.

"You might be right," Kurumu mumbled, shaking her head in disapproval. "Man, girls at this academy can't go ten days without some weirdo trying to make a move on them."

"Sad but true," Yukari said in agreement.

"At any rate," I cut in. "You girls better keep an eye out. If this is the work of another perv, you might be on the list."

"He's got a point," said Ginei, putting a finger to his chin. "Whoever's been nabbin' these girls clearly wants the pretty ones. And, well, you two are the most popular girls in your grade, last I checked. Not sure if Yukari's a target…"

"Hey, I'm pretty!" cried the witch, crossing her arms with a huff. Ginei chuckled and shook his head.

I smiled at her words, but part of me was still concerned for the girls' safety. In all honestly, Moka and Kurumu were, without exaggeration, gorgeous. I might not say it out loud to them, but I could definitely admit it to myself. And if the one kidnapping girls was after those who he—or she—found attractive, then Moka and Kurumu could definitely become part of that group.

"Just…be careful, all of you," I warned. "The fact still stands that seven people are missing, so it'd be best to stay on your toes regardless."

They nodded in agreement, and after a few more minutes, our club meeting came to an end. Before long, I was on my way back to the girls' dorm to drop of Kurumu and Moka, but as we approached the building, Moka stopped us, and informed us of something that I hadn't seen coming.

"A model?" Kurumu asked after Moka's announcement. "Miss Ishigami wants you to be a model for her?"

Moka nodded. "She's been asking me for a while now. I agreed today when she pulled me aside during art class, and told her I'd met with her today, but I completely forgot to tell you guys what with the whole 'Missing Girls Case'," she said with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that…"

My eyes widened when I remembered that I _also_ planned on talking to Moka about something: the inner Moka. Like the outer counterpart, however, I had completely forgotten about that during the whole deal with the missing girls.

"She could've asked me," Kurumu mumbled before shaking her head. "Well, err, congratulations, I guess."

The vampire grinned. "Thanks! Did you want me to tell her that you're available for modeling too?"

"Uh, no, no that's fine," Kurumu chuckled. "I was joking. Anyway, if that's all, let's—"

"Actually," I interrupted. "I needed to talk to Moka about something. The dorm's right over there, Kurumu, you won't get in trouble for making the rest of the walk on your own. I can see the front entrance from here too, so if anything, I'm still keeping you within sight."

Kurumu gave me a quizzing look, but shrugged after a second. "Alright then. See you guys tomorrow," she said with a wave as she walked away. While doing so, however, I heard her pause and mumbled something about not having finished the science project. I chortled quietly before turning to Moka.

"Hey, sorry about this," I began. "I had something to talk to you about, but it completely slipped my mind."

Moka just grinned and waved it off. "Oh that's fine! What did you need?" I gestured to an empty bench, and the two of us sat down. I propped my elbows up on my knees, taking a breath as Moka sat down next to me.

"Is your other half listening?" I asked, earning a confused look from Moka.

"Um, probably," she admitted. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no, the opposite, actually," I said while looking down at the rosary. "I wanted her to hear this. You catch that…Inner Moka?" Nothing happened for a second, but then the rosary emitted a faint pink-red glow.

" _ **I'm listening,"**_ said the inner Moka.

"Great. Now then," I began, clasping my hands together and looking at the outer Moka "It's sorta come to my attention that your other half only comes out to fight or to help us solve problems." The vampire nodded slowly. "And as far as I know, I'm the only who's been able to take off your rosary so far, right?"

" _ **It would appear so, yes."**_

"Well…I had this, uh, idea, I guess you could call it," I said rather awkwardly. "That…maybe I could start letting the inner Moka out for, you know, _normal_ stuff."

The pink-haired Moka raised an eyebrow and cocked her head in confusion.

" _ **I'm sorry, what?"**_ asked her inner counterpart.

I sighed. "Look, I thought it was a little unfair that you had to spend all your time in a jewel just listening to us talk. As ashamed as I am to say it, I just…forgot that you were there. Recently, I realized that we've—that _I've_ —been kinda ignoring you, and I thought I'd offer to let you out for the sake of letting you out. You could just hang out with us, socialize a bit, actually get to know the people who you have to spend all your time around—and hey, maybe we'll get to know _you_ a bit more. Because all I know about your personality is that you're proud, willing to fight...and that's about it."

The two Mokas remained silent for several seconds. I flinched at the lack of a response.

"You don't have to if you don't want to…"

" _ **Oh, no, that's not—I'm just surprised, that is all. I am not usually presented with such offers. I am…unused to this treatment."**_

"My point exactly," I chuckled. "You don't get any attention except for when you're needed to help with a fight or a problem. That's pretty crappy and unfair treatment if you ask me. I know we might have started off a little rough, but I know that you're not a bad person. You shouldn't spend all your free time locked in a miniature prison."

"So what exactly are you suggesting?" asked the outer Moka. "Did you have something particular in mind?"

I sighed. "If it's okay with both of you, I thought I could start letting the inner Moka out to get to know her—it would be just her and me. You could see the Academy in person a bit more, and we could start small, with just the two of us at first, and when you get more comfortable, we can start inviting the others to meet up with you when there _isn't_ a psychopath to be stopped. Maybe sometime within the next few days? When you're not modeling, that is."

After a moment of silence and pondering, Moka looked back up to me. "I…I guess I'm alright with that, yeah. It might do her some good."

"… _ **I suppose there is no harm in it…"**_

I grinned. If the inner Moka was in any way lonely, she'd never admit it. Her pride wouldn't let her, but the fact that she was willing to do this made me think that she secretly wanted to get out and talk. I could have been wrong, but barely communicating with the outside world in person could have gotten to her over time.

"So," I began. "Just, I don't know, tell me when you're free. I was thinking we could just chat for a while. Like I said, I feel like I barely know you."

" _ **That would be because you barely know me."**_

I chuckled. "And that's a problem I intend to fix. Anyway, I know you guys have that modeling thing to get to, so I'll get out of your hair. I'd have talked to you sooner but..."

"Busy time at the Newspaper Club," Moka said with a smile. "I know."

I gave her a mock salute. "Stay safe, stay out of dark areas, and don't go out alone if you can help it—actually, on second thought, would you like me to walk you to Miss Ishigami's room? I'm free for now, and I _did_ just tell you to avoid going out alone."

The vampire paused before nodding. "Sure, okay. Just no peeking," she said with a giggle. "I'd be embarrassed if you saw me modeling."

I raised an eyebrow. I wasn't sure why she'd care, but then again, I didn't have any personal experience with 'modeling', per se. Having my picture taken while wearing an elaborate suit, yes, but modeling? That was new to me.

"No peeking," I parroted. "Got it. Should I pick you up when you're done?"

"That'd be nice," Moka said with a sweet smile. "I should be done in an hour and a half. First day is supposed to be easier."

"Alright, I'll be there. Is that all?" I received an excited nod in return, and the two of us stood up. Moka began walking at a leisurely pace and I followed, shoving my hands into my pockets. I blinked, however, when I felt a piece of paper, and decided to pull it out, instantly recognizing the sheet with the pictures of the missing girls. My eyes scanned over the shots of the girls once more.

 _Symbiote, do we know anything about these girls? How much time passed between their disappearances, do they have any connections to each other, do they—_

Nothing.

I sighed, pocketing the paper. The symbiote already knew that we were completely in the dark in regards to these girls, and any information we obtained would probably come from people we talked to as the Newspaper Club. Tomorrow, I planned on spending some time talking to people and getting some background information on the seven girls.

"Are you alright?" Moka asked as we walked.

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, just wondering if there's some sort of connection between the missing girls that I haven't seen yet. Figuring it out would definitely give us a lead to follow in finding them."

The vampire smiled. "You really want to help them, huh?" I nodded, and her smile only grew warmer as she moved closer to me. After another minute or so, we got to the art room—which, oddly enough, had its own building, connected to the main school one by a hallway.

"Hello," I called as we stepped in, dozens of empty desks sitting about in the room. "Peter Parker and Moka Akashiya here."

"Just a second!" said a voice from one of the back rooms. A woman stepped out a moment later, shutting the door behind her and brushing a stray braid out of her eye while smiling at us.

"Hey there, Moka," she said with a wave. "Glad you could make it." She paused and glanced at me before looking back to Moka. "And who's this?"

"This is my friend Peter Parker," Moka chirped. "He walked me over here."

"Parker? Ah, I think I remember a 'Peter Parker' from one of my classes," said the teacher before offering me her hand. "Miss Ishigami. Forgive me if I didn't recognize you right away. Lots of faces everyday and all, you know?"

Miss Ishigami; I knew her. She was right in that I had art class with her, and if anything, I noticed that she was exceptionally popular with girls. It could have been because she was so laid back and tomboyish. Regardless, she seemed like a nice, well-liked and well-respected teacher.

"It's fine," I replied while shaking her outstretched hand. "So I hear Moka's your new model?"

Miss Ishigami beamed. "Oh yes!" And then to Moka: "Come, come, I need to get you ready for everything and give you a rundown of what we're going to be doing!"

"Uh, should I be going then?" I asked uncertainly as Moka moved to follow the art teacher.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," answered the vampire, giving me a grin while she threw a glance over her shoulder. "Remember the deal? No peeking!"

I chuckled. "Right, I'll see myself out then." I turned on my heel while Moka waved at me, still grinning and following Miss Ishigami. Placing my hands back into my pockets, I began walking towards the door, leaving Moka alone with the art teacher. She seemed like a nice woman from what I knew, and while part of me was constantly worried about Moka being alone—mostly because she had been the target of many a crazy student so far—part of me argued that just because there was a sizable group of bad apples in the bunch didn't mean that I could—or should—keep her from everyone. I could offer her as much advice and assistance as I wanted to, but I couldn't force her to stay by my side all the time.

I wasn't going to be around forever, and Moka would be on her own eventually. This was just a simple afterschool activity that she had become involved in. Besides, there were other problems I had to worry about as well.

Like the seven missing people.

While on the way back to the boys' dorm, I mulled over what information I had on the missing girls— _again_ —staring down at the paper with their pictures that Ginei had given us.

 _Okay, so, let's assume there's no connection between them whatsoever in terms of physical appearance. Then this introduces the possibility of these being completely random kidnappings. On the other hand, there could be a connection that doesn't involve physical traits._

That's right; they could all be connected to a common ancestor or be part of a group that the kidnapper was targeting. Gah! There was just so much that they _could_ have in common, but so little that I could actually see. And then there was always the chance that I was overthinking it, and this was a simple case of a perverted guy kidnapping a few pretty girls.

Could be dead.

I flinched at the symbiote's idea. Sadly, for all we knew, the girls might not be missing, but dead, killed by an unknown murderer. It was a depressing possibility, but one that I couldn't ignore. There had been more than one death last year, from what I had read of the previous Newspaper Club's reports. If the girls were indeed dead, then this wasn't just some pervert.

It could be a serial killer.

 _I should warn the others of the possibility. If this kidnapper is actually a killer, and if he's targeting attractive girls, Moka and Kurumu might be in serious danger._

I knew the girls could definitely protect themselves, but that didn't change the fact that _seven_ people were missing. If this was all the work of one person, then it didn't matter how strong the girls were, this kidnapper—or whatever he was—had _skills._ They'd need to watch their backs regardless.

And of course, I'd be watching over them too. Because if this sicko wanted to get his hands on Moka or Kurumu, well then…

He was gonna have to go through me.

* * *

 _A few days later – Yōkai Academy rooftop_

My foot tapped idly against the stone rooftop. The cloudless sky made it easy for the—oddly rare—silver moon to illuminate the area in its light. I had been up here for a good five or six minutes, silently waiting for her—for _them_ —to arrive.

The symbiote had mixed feelings about the whole thing, but I didn't blame it for its attitude towards the upcoming event. Few things could truly excite the alien besides combat and rushes of adrenaline.

But _I_ was interested. Tonight was the first night I'd be letting out the inner Moka. We had finally set a date and time—a few days after my initial offer—and the hour had finally come. Very little was truly out of the ordinary, but I was still curious as to how this would all go.

That wasn't to say I was going in blind, of course. I had made a few plans on how to make this go smoother—avoid questions that are too personal to give Moka time to get comfortable around me, be open with her to help speed up the process, that sort of thing. I hadn't had enough time to really plan out conversation topics between Moka informing me that tonight was a good night and now, but I at least had an idea of how to treat the inner Moka.

I could have been overthinking it a little, but I had my reasons for wanting this to go well. For one thing, I was more than capable of appreciating the inner Moka's power, and I knew that having her as an enemy was _not_ something I wanted or needed. I had one too many misunderstandings result in dangerous enemies in the past, and I would not let that happen here. Plus, it was a chance for the vampire to come out and experience something besides battle. I wanted to make a good first impression.

On top of that, the events that transpired with Mizore were still fresh in my mind. That could have all been avoided if we had communicated better, and while the outer Moka's lonely past might have made her stick to the first person to show her any affection, the inner Moka was a completely different person, with a far more aggressive personality. I had no clue how loneliness might have affected her, but I didn't need to take chances.

I threw a glance over my shoulder when I heard hinges squealing as a door opened. The pink-haired girl I had been waiting for tentatively stepped out onto the rooftop, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes as she walked over to me, the door shutting behind her with a dull thud.

"Nice night," she said, smiling as she approached me. I returned the expression as I swiveled to face her.

"It's beautiful," I added, nodding in agreement.

"So," Moka began, rubbing the back of her head. "How does this work? You're just going to let her out and talk to her?"

"Yup. No crazy monsters to fight, no missing snow women to find; just two people having a talk and getting to know each other."

Moka glanced up at the sky momentarily before looking back at me. "You know, we should do this sometime—you and I, that is."

I cocked my head to the side in confusion. "Do what?"

She fidgeted a little. "You know…come out here and just talk. Maybe you and I can come up here for a chat sometime again. Ever since Kurumu came along, we've never really done anything fun together."

"Yes we have," I said frowning. "We've done plenty of stuff—no, scratch that, we've done _everything_ together since then."

"No, I meant you and I never did anything with just the two of us," she clarified. "We used to hang out before everyone else came along and talk to each other. You remember, right? Like how we used to go in front of the vending machine for a drink and chat for a while. We don't do that anymore."

Well...she was right, it would seem. But why did it matter if it was just the two of us or if the others came along? Either way, it wouldn't hurt to give her what she wanted. "Yeah, we could do something like that again, if you really want to."

The wide and innocent grin that appeared on her face left me chuckling. "I'd love that," she said quietly. "But I guess tonight's the other Moka's night, huh?"

"Yeah, let's give her some time to come out too," I said, stepping forward. "We'll think of something to do together later. Anyway, ready?" Moka nodded, holding back her arms and presenting me with her rosary.

"Take care of her," she said with a giggle and a playful wink. The rosary lit up, presumably in frustration or embarrassment at the statement. I snickered as I reached for the jewel.

"We won't take long," I assured. "I'll keep your other half out of trouble." Again, the rosary lit up. Again, I assumed it was out of annoyance. The outer Moka just kept smiling while I pulled the trinket off her neck, stepping back as the inner Moka was set free. Four seconds or so later, a proud, silver-haired vampire stood before me.

And she looked annoyed.

"I do not require you to 'take care of me' or 'keep me out of trouble'," she growled, crossing her arms. The frown only grew when I didn't stop grinning at her. I finally stepped back and gestured to the stone railing running around the perimeter of the rooftop, motioning for Moka to lean on it. The vampire took the hint and sat on the railing while I propped my elbows up on it.

"So," I began, spreading my arms and gesturing to everything around us. "Welcome back to the physical world."

Moka slowly looked around, her eyes lazily roaming over our surroundings. A sharp contrast from how she usually quickly glanced about and noted details of her environment during a fight. "This feels strange," she mumbled.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because there's no crazy person to take down?"

"For lack of a better explanation; yes," was her short response. "I'm accustomed to being called into the heat of battle or a conflict. That's how it's been since the other Moka met you."

I shrugged. "Well, then how about you enjoy the calm of night for once? Vampires like the night, right? Your time to shine…or sparkle."

The silver-haired girl groaned. "Please, do not go there." I chuckled at her obvious familiarity with the reference. Looking away, I interlocked my hands as I gazed out over the land surrounding Yōkai Academy. Despite the various similarities to New York, Yōkai still lacked the sprawling metropolis that I was accustomed to swinging through. A forest bathed in silver moonlight just didn't feel the same.

But then again, I should be thankful that the Academy was as similar to New York as it already was. If it weren't, things would have been a lot worse for both the symbiote and me.

"So…how does this work?" asked Moka. "As I said, I am unaccustomed to being called out for…social gatherings."

"Simple," I replied with a shrug. "We talk. We get to know each other—"

"You mean to tell me we reveal secrets?" she asked skeptically. "I was under the impression that had been something of a joke."

"Uh, no. No, we tell each other about ourselves a bit. You don't have to tell me _everything_ , but maybe a few basic things. For example, what's your favorite color?"

The vampire raised an eyebrow. "Why does that matter?"

"…because I'm curious?" I said. "What, you think I'll use your favorite color against you? Relax Moka, I'm just trying to get to know you."

She frowned, but ended up shrugging a second later. "I was always drawn to red. Blood red in particular."

"Why am I not surprised?" I asked, chuckling. "I like red too. Red and blue. What about hobbies? Is there any activity you really like?"

The raised eyebrow stayed in its position. "I like to fight. There is not much else I have the chance to do."

I twitched.

 _Stupid, don't ask those kinds of questions!_

Of course, she spent her time in the rosary. What could she have experienced? Hobbies were out of the question. I had asked her that out of habit—one developed from seeing too many films or shows where someone tries getting to know someone else by asking what they do.

So what else could I ask? Favorite places to visit? She might not remember places the other Moka had visited. Favorite foods? Hey, could she even taste what the outer Moka ate?

Wait…what was _she_ interested in? What did this Moka like to do? The answer to that was simple: fighting.

"So when you fight," I began. "Do you typically prefer to use your fists or feet?"

She blinked. "I prefer to kick. I can put more power behind the strike."

I nodded. "Alright. So, I haven't seen you fight all that often. Do you rely on just brute force and talent or was there some training involved?"

"Training. I have taken lessons before," she answered, her expression indicating that she was a little more involved in the conversation now. "The other Moka, however, has not. She is not a fighter, and never bothered to learn. And what of yourself?"

I made a mental note to ask who her teacher was at some point.

"Oh, it's just experience." And natural ability, due in no small part to the spider-sense. "I'm pretty light on my feet to start with, and practice has helped me get better at it."

"Practice? You've studied the martial arts?"

"Err, no," I said, brows furrowing. "Well, not with a trainer or anything. I've done a bit of reading up on form and technique, and practiced in some free time, but most everything else is movement that I've developed and gotten used to on my own. There's a lot of natural ability involved as well."

Moka nodded slowly. "Interesting. Your movements during battle were similar to that of a martial arts master in terms of speed and flexibility. They were more erratic than those of an experienced fighter who has studied and mastered forms, but effective nonetheless. Am I correct in assuming your species has a warrior-like culture?"

"You could say that, yeah," I replied. Humans did have a bloody history, but would it be correct to say that we had a warrior-like culture? I didn't know for sure, but I could agree to an extent. "I read that vampires are a warrior species too, priding themselves on strength and noble bloodlines."

"True," said Moka. "The traditions are old and date back for far longer than I can summarize in a single conversation."

"Cool."

…

Crap, I didn't know how long to draw out a conversation on fighting and war. I didn't want the topic to be about that to begin with, but seeing as it was something this Moka was familiar with, I assumed it could start a conversation, and so far, it had worked. Maybe a more personal question this time?

"Do you have any siblings?" I asked. That seemed to throw the vampire off, if her expression was anything to go by, but she caught herself quickly enough.

"Yes. Several. And you?"

"Not that I know of," I said. Moka nodded and turned slightly, placing her hands on the stone railing and leaning on it. A few moments of silence passed before Moka spoke again.

"Peter, may I ask you something?" she slowly asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Go for it."

She took a breath. "You are from America, correct? The United States?" I nodded. "Have you ever…have you ever met one of those humans?" she continued. "The ones with powers? I'm not quite sure what they're called nowadays."

I shifted slowly as the question sank in. I had expected this. I had felt as though the inner Moka would be curious about something like this. I could use this as an opportunity to gage her opinion of people like me, and maybe even help to improve it.

"I can't say I've met one," I lied. "But I've read a lot about some of the famous ones—both the good and the bad."

Moka nodded, her expression unreadable. I took the opportunity to ask my own question. "What do you think of these humans? The ones who've gained powers, I mean."

Moment of truth…

The silver-haired girl hesitated. "I believe it's unnatural," she said after the pause. "There are historical accounts of humans gaining powers because they were turned into something that wasn't human at all—such as when a spirit takes control of a human corpse or when a specific type of monster gives its power to a human. But in all those cases, those humans ceased being…well, humans. Monster intervention was required for them to gain powers. The idea that they're beginning to get powers of their own, _without_ a monster giving them that power is—it's not right."

I flinched slightly at her words, but assured myself that at least she didn't downright hate us.

"Yes, I believe that's the best way to put it," she concluded. "Power attained through unnatural means is dangerous—and by unnatural, I mean from serums, failed experiments, drugs, cybernetics, anything of the sort."

Which of those did a radioactive spider bite count as again?

"But what do you think of the humans themselves?" I pressed. "Those who use their powers publically—what do you think of them?"

Moka frowned. "I believe many of them to be selfish. So many of them use their powers for crime or the whatnot. I've noticed a pattern with the most recent reports: most of the humans who receive powers and are public about it seem to go insane. They wreak havoc, cause mass chaos, and other humans are forced to stop them. And these are only the ones who are _public_ about what they do—imagine how many could be hiding?"

It was sad, but it was true. Many people who had gotten powers tended to go crazy in one way or another. In New York, for example, I had been vastly outnumbered by criminals with powers. They just seemed to pop up far more often than those who decided to use their powers for good. It was a city with few superheroes, but one chockfull of what the public deemed as 'supervillains'.

"It furthers my point that humans were not meant to handle these powers," Moka continued. "These unnatural abilities are only going to cause problems."

"Hold on," I said. "There are well-known humans that use their powers for good. They save lives."

A humorless snort escaped Moka. "Yes, and for every one of them, there are fifteen of those evil 'super humans' or whatever. Some claim to be heroes, yes, but you can never be too sure. Power corrupts, and when that power is not something you're naturally born with, it tends to corrupt faster, and to a greater extent. Even monsters that have their abilities because it's in their blood can still be driven mad by it."

She paused for a breath. "At the end of the day, I still stand firm in my belief that it's unnatural, but when it comes to these human heroes, I do not know what to say or think."

I nodded slowly, processing the information for several seconds. Eventually, Moka spoke again. "Here is another question, one my other half was wondering about but never remembered to ask: what was your life like before Yōkai Academy? Did you have any friends?"

I swallowed at the sudden memory of the two people that I had spent so much time with. "Yeah," I replied quietly. "There were two of them. Two friends, I mean. They were the only people I really talked to outside my family."

Correction: they were the only two people Peter Parker really talked to. Spider-Man was a different story, but did crazy villains and 'friends' forged from shaky alliances really count?

"What were they like, if you don't mind me asking?"

"They were…" I paused. "Their names were Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy. Harry helped me with some of my bully problems and was an awesome guy all around. We met some time ago, and, well, eventually started hanging out and getting along pretty well."

Until I had to start ditching him to save lives. The only issue was that he didn't know what I was leaving to do.

"I'm glad that you found someone to befriend," Moka said with a nod. "Loneliness can really change a person, and I imagine things would not have been pretty if someone like you ended up with an attitude like that of, say, the snow woman." I grunted in agreement.

"What of your other friend?" Moka continued. "The girl?"

The girl…Gwen. How could I even begin to describe her to Moka?

"Gwen was…well…where do I even start?" I asked with a quiet chuckle. "She was…she was kind of like a mix of you and your other half, actually." This caused Moka to raise an eyebrow, an action I ignored. "She was kindhearted and sweet, and very smart, but she wasn't…afraid. She definitely didn't have your strength, but she was tough—in her own way."

Moka eyed me curiously. "You and this girl were particularly close," she noted. "There is affection in your voice…longing; you miss her."

I gave her a small, sad smile. "Yeah…yeah, I miss her a lot."

"But you are still happy here, yes?" asked Moka, glancing at her rosary. "You do not regret coming to Yōkai Academy and meeting the others?"

I pondered the question. Was I happy here? Would I undo it all at the cost of not meeting Moka, Kurumu, and the others? I had already changed lives here—lives that I didn't want to see returned to their original, unstable ways.

So did I regret coming to Yōkai Academy? The answer was…

"I don't regret it. I'm glad I met you guys," I finally answered. "I helped change Kurumu and made a huge difference in Mizore's life. I helped two people out in ways that stopped them from becoming something…something unpleasant. Who knows how Mizore would have gone or, or what Kurumu's life had would have been like if she had remained under the control of those rogue succubi?"

"And what of my other half?" asked Moka. "The outer personality you became so familiar with?"

I smiled. "She's an amazing girl. She's got this…innocence and joy to her, and it's a welcome change. You hear all these stories about super-powered psychopaths popping up when you're in the U.S, and it can get a little depressing. Meeting your other half was a good change of pace. It's hard to focus on the bad things in life with her around, and I'm glad for that. Plus, I can take pleasure in the fact that she went from having no friends to having the Newspaper Club. She deserves happiness."

"You care for them," Moka commented. "The succubus and my other half have become important to you. The affection is obvious."

"They're two awesome people who I spend all my time around," I said with a smile. "Of course I'd start caring for them. I want them both to find what they're looking for in life, whatever it might be."

I paused. "Meeting you has been interesting too. I don't know you that well, but from what little I _do_ know, I feel like getting to know you would really be worth the time."

Moka studied me with a raised eyebrow before shaking her head. "You are a strange one."

"You don't know the half of it," I chuckled.

The vampire watched me for a few more seconds, as though trying to read me, but moved on. "These old friends of yours…were they human?" she asked.

…huh, were they? I had never considered the possibility of them being anything else, but I had also never seen any indication that they _weren't_ human, so…"I'm pretty sure, yeah. There was nothing about them to make me think that they were anything else, and I couldn't exactly ask them."

The vampire remained silent for a bit before speaking again. "You do not have anything against humans, do you?" The question felt unnecessary, because from her tone of voice, I could tell Moka already knew the answer.

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "I've got nothing against them. Just because they're human doesn't warrant hatred—just like being a monster shouldn't either. As far as I can tell, we're all people, and things like race or species should not be the deciding factor in how you get treated."

I was secretly glad that the subject was shifting away from my old friends. If the topic had gone on for long enough, we would have reached a certain event that I was not comfortable with talking about.

The vampire studied me for another second—she did that a lot—before I saw her shoulders give a slight, barely noticeable shrug. "That is true. Your way of thinking seems to welcome anybody into your life—it's no wonder the other Moka became so drawn to you so quickly: you were the perfect friend for someone who felt rejected."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Right place, right time, I guess. And, funny thing, actually, it seems that most of the people in our little group were alone for longer than we wanted to be. Moka went through it, I went through it, Yukari went through it, Mizore went through it—"

"The snow woman is part of 'our group'?" asked Moka.

"Oh yeah," I said with a grin. "She'll come back, trust me. In fact, I think the only thing that's kept her from showing up already is the fact that she's got her counseling sessions and the detentions to serve. Once she's free, I'm willing to bet that she'll show up again."

I glanced at the icy ring she had given me—which I had moved to my thumb. It was still as beautiful and chilly as the day Mizore had created it.

Moka seemed to accept my theory and glanced up at the sky. "You are right, though," she said suddenly. "The majority of those you call friends here have been rejected by their peers in the past. Interesting, how that worked out."

"And they say likes repel," I chuckled before glancing at Moka. It definitely felt strange to see her in such a calm environment because I was so used to watching her show up during some sort of emergency or in preparation for a fight.

She didn't say anything after that, opting only to nod slowly .We stood like that for a minute, wordlessly looking out over the land.

"I've been observing you," she blurted suddenly.

I blinked. "What?"

"From the rosary. Ever since I woke up shortly after you met the outer Moka, I've been collecting information on you through observation."

I gave her a confused stare, ignoring the symbiote's growing suspicion. "I'm not sure that's something you tell people out of the blue like that," I mumbled.

 _What's gotten into her?_

Moka shrugged. "Nobody was talking and it was the first thing that came to mind that actually involved you. My other half trusted you more than I thought she should have at the time, so I began watching and learning from you to ensure that you weren't a threat to my outer side."

 _She's not even fazed after letting that slip?_

She was obviously unsure of how to properly hold a conversation, and so far, little mistakes and certain accepted social norms had left her slightly confused at a few points. This time, however, she was rolling right through the blunder without hesitation. That left _me_ as the one who was confused, and it left the symbiote more than a little cautious.

"And what did you conclude from your observations?" I asked.

 _Still not sure where she's going to go with this, but I might as well find out._

Moka smirked. "Quite a few things. For one, you seem to have the ability to perform basic shape shifting, and yet you clearly have spider-based powers as well."

"Shape shifting? Where'd you get _that_ idea?"

The smirk widened on her face. "I've seen that black substance that you cover yourself with after transforming morph into clothing on more than one occasion. When you actually transform, you lack a mouth, but when you talk, I can still see your jaw moving. This suggests that you still have a functioning mouth, but it's simply covered by that black substance, almost like some sort of mask, which often left me wondering just what that dark covering is. A suit? A second skin?"

The silence that reigned for a second left me nervous. My nature was one of the things that I just _couldn't_ discuss with her, for fear of letting something sensitive slip. Just how far into me had Moka looked? The vampire in question just kept looking at me before smiling and chuckling quietly to herself.

"I suppose those are observations that I will not receive the explanations for tonight," she finished. "But I have noticed other things about you. For example, during the few times I've seen you fight, I've seen you exert various levels of strength for various reasons. It's inconsistent, so either your power fluctuates for some strange reason, or you hold back and adjust according to the situation."

Phew, at least that was something I could go into without revealing too much about my nature.

"I hold back," I said, crossing my arms. "Unless I know an opponent inside and out, I don't go all out on them. I don't want to kill them."

"And so you use only as much power as you deem necessary," Moka surmised, still smirking. "So how strong are you really?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I replied with a wink. "I'll have to pass on that one. A guy can keep some secrets, can't he?"

I still didn't know why we had even come to this topic, why she even brought up her observations, but both the symbiote and I _wanted_ to know.

Moka didn't falter. "Fair enough. You are allowed to keep some information to yourself, I suppose. Alright then, here's another one: you know how to get into someone's head."

Whoa, whoa, whoa, what? "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"You know how to influence people with words. Under certain circumstances, you're capable of getting into someone's head and picking them apart," said the vampire. "The succubus and the snow woman, for example; you talked both of them out of what they were doing at the time. You had said that Kurumu showed remorse while Mizore proved that she was simply desperate to find a friend. In both cases, you saw that the people you were fighting were more than what met the eye, and you connected with them on a personal level."

"What are you getting at?" I asked in confusion.

"When you find the potential for good inside someone, you attempt to draw it out. You get into their heads—in a good way—to try and convince them that they don't have to do what they're doing," Moka explained. "You look for the good qualities in a person, and if you find them, you try to emphasize and explore them."

"Well that's one way of putting it…"

Alright, what the heck was Moka doing? She was stating random observations and listing them off like some sort of guessing game.

 _Wait…guessing, huh?_

An idea was beginning to form.

"You have a desire to protect those around you," said Moka. "Like a parent acts towards their child—only you extend that treatment to those you don't know, as well as those you do. You despise injustice and try to correct wrongs where you see them, and you avoid taking a fight further than you think it has to go. You strive to be a hero."

"You're right," I said slowly, but a little more confidently.

"And because of that, you felt bad about leaving me in the rosary. You thought you were 'neglecting' me. This conversation is happening because you want to correct a wrong that you think you've committed."

"I also wanted to get you out of your little prison," I added. "I wanted to expand your world beyond simple fighting."

"You have done nothing wrong," she replied, frowning. "I didn't need your help. I didn't need comfort."

"This had nothing to do with needs," I said. "It was about _wants_. I _wanted_ to get you out of that jewel because I _wanted_ you to experience life. You came out because someone—either you or the outer Moka— _wanted_ you to."

"Hmm, I suppose you are correct," she continued. "…yes, I can see where you're coming from. Fine then, here's another one: you don't stare at girls like much of the other males at this school."

Yet another point that came out of the blue…

"Either you don't like them, your species doesn't mate, or you're being polite. I'd assume it's the last of the three. If I had to guess based on what I know about you, I'd say you've been raised in a home that taught proper behavior and respect. As a result, you act politely, and force yourself to look away if you think you're seeing something that you shouldn't."

I nodded. The idea that had formed between the symbiote and I was beginning to grow, and I was starting to form a decent explanation for why Moka was doing this, for why this had turned into a strange interrogation of sorts.

 _She's putting me under a microscope, isn't she? She's the one picking ME apart; this is how she gets to know somebody. Not through social interaction, but by observing and analyzing them. Little questions that come to mind are one thing, and all that about my life outside this place was for the outer Moka, but when THIS Moka wants information on someone…she doesn't ask—she observes, she listens, she learns._

I smiled at her, an action that caused the silver-haired vampire to blink in surprise.

 _Two can play at this game, Moka._

Except unlike her, I had the information collected by both the symbiote and I at my disposal. And while what I had observed wasn't much compared to her, the symbiote was certainly the type to analyze my surroundings. Its mindset often felt as combat-oriented as this Moka's did. So all I had to do was go off of what my partner had found out about this vampire, as well as resort to what I myself had learned.

"You know," I began. "I can observe too, and I think it's my turn now, to show you what I've learned."

"Oh? And what might that be? You haven't seen me that often."

The smile on my face widened. "You acted pretty confused when this conversation started, slowly working your way through sentences. But the moment you brought up your observations, you were on a roll, you didn't even faze when I pointed out that you shouldn't tell somebody you've been observing them during an average conversation."

"And?" she asked.

I leaned forward. "The way you transitioned into this topic was too smooth for someone who was obviously inexperienced in holding a normal conversation. You were hesitant before, and then you suddenly opened up with what you had learned. Either this is a subject you're incredibly comfortable with or…you might have rehearsed it."

A smirk found its way onto Moka's face. "And what if I did plan it?"

"What if you did indeed," I mumbled. Moka's expression told me that she wasn't concerned in the slightest that I was on to her. It was like a game now. So why would she blatantly state observations about me?

To see the reactions.

The symbiote and I realized it at almost the same time: Moka had been looking to see if my reactions would give anything away. This whole time…

"You were interrogating me," I chuckled, clapping a hand to my forehead in realization. "You'd tell me what you assumed to be true and then you'd see if I would confirm it for you by watching how I'd react to it and listening to what I'd say. You didn't just list the things you thought you had learned about me, no, you had me answer questions for you. You just didn't present them as questions."

The connection wasn't _too_ difficult to make. The symbiote had, in the past, often chastised me for not taking enough time to analyze an enemy during battle, and when it came to fighting, you had to make that analysis quickly. And with the symbiote's help, I had learned to make connections like this based on people's actions.

Moka crossed her arms, chuckling quietly. "Maybe I did. Is that a problem?"

"You're not surprised," I commented.

"I expected you to make the connection," she replied with a small shrug. "If I didn't want you to realize what I was doing, I would have been far more careful."

I shook my head as I chuckled again. "This is how you socialize, isn't it?" I asked. "You're scouting me out in your own way. You won't really open up to me until you're satisfied that you know enough about me, will you?

"I am a warrior, Peter," she said. "I am at home in battle, not at a social gathering. In combat, I analyze an opponent before engaging—the amount of observations I make is often based on how long I have to make them. I simply used the same approach for this as well—analyzing the target before I make contact. A more powerful individual will naturally receive more attention and contemplation than a weak one."

That made sense. I had read that vampires had a deep history with battle, after all, and seeing as this Moka was far more attached to her roots and customs than the outer one, she was far more attuned to battle. The outer Moka was the one that handled talking to people and dealt with friends, while the inner Moka handled self-defense and dealt with enemies.

They complemented each other.

"So if I was a weakling," I began. "You wouldn't have taken nearly this level of interest in me, huh? Your analysis of me would have been much briefer, right?"

"The length might have been different, yet," she said while glancing at the moon. "But I observe all who the outer Moka associates with. I just don't usually talk to them like this. You've proved that you're powerful, that you're not afraid of a vampire, of all things, so it only makes sense that I take more time to observe you."

"You've made this so needlessly complicated," I remarked, smirking at her. "You could have tried talking to me."

"Yes, but not long ago, I had no clue if you would have ever let me out to talk."

"And so you decided to watch me from the rosary," I said, shaking my head. "I've been stalked without even knowing it."

It was a little worrying, knowing that Moka's inner half had spent this much time gathering information on me. Who knew how long I had until she realized I was human?

We stood still for a moment, both of us silent as a lone cloud passed over, covering the moon in the process. Eventually, Moka yawned. "Well, it has been an interesting experience, but I'm afraid it is time to go," she said as she turned to me. "The other Moka still needs her sleep."

"Yeah, I guess so." I looked the vampire in the eyes and smiled. "Would you be interested in doing something like this again? I could get you out of the rosary for some free time. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, but I figured you'd still enjoy the chance to roam free for a little while…"

Maybe I could even get her to start asking me what she wanted to know, rather than figuring it out by watching me. That might help avoid a situation in which she observed something that I didn't want her to.

She pausing, giving a short and quiet hum as she seemed to contemplate the offer. "I will think about it. Until then, though, you will have to wait." She brought the rosary up to her neck, glancing at me one last time. "Make sure the other Moka makes it safely to her dorm. I'd suggest waiting for her to wake up—it'd be awkward if you were seen carrying a sleeping girl into her room."

"Thanks for the heads-up," I said, gesturing to her rosary. "Sleep tight in there."

She gave me a blank look, eliciting a grin from me before she clipped the rosary on with a soft chink. Her body fell forward almost instantly, her hair morphing before my eyes as it lost its elegant silver color.

A second later, a sleeping, pink-haired Moka fell into my waiting arms.

* * *

 _The next day – The Newspaper Club's room_

I sat in one of the many chairs scattered around the room, one leg thrown over the other as I watched a certain cheerful vampire bow to us from the door, her bag held in her hands in front of her.

"I'm sorry!" Moka shouted for what felt like the millionth time.

"Just go already!" Kurumu chuckled.

"Have fun out there," I added while giving Moka a reassuring nod. She had made a mistake when she told us her modeling schedule this morning before school. She, apparently, wasn't supposed to meet with Miss Ishigami _after_ our club meets, but _during_ them. The first few days were an oddity in her new modeling career, and starting today, her schedule was supposed to be changed. Except she hadn't known that until just a few minutes ago, and now the pink-haired girl was rushing to get to the art room.

"I promise I'll work extra hard for the club next week!" she said from the door as she looked at us. "I'll be done by then!"

"You're going to be late," I said while gesturing to the clock on the wall. Moka let out a small gasp before giving us a final wave and running off, leaving Kurumu and I behind in our clubroom. Kurumu, still chuckling at the vampire's antics, shook her head and turned back to her work.

"Well then, back to work, I guess," she said as she grabbed her pencil and began writing a rough draft of one of her articles. "By the way, have you seen Yukari?"

"Yeah, she was getting Ginei. She'll be back any minute," I replied while looking down at my own article and a small stack of photos I had taken. When our club began working on the next issue of our paper, we immediately started gathering information for the Missing Girls Case. We had learned quite a bit about the presumably-kidnapped girls, but where they were, we still didn't know. Background information didn't reveal anything that stood out—their schedules were almost all the same classes, just in different orders, the only exception being that one of the girls had a music class. They weren't all in the same club, and none of the clubs they attended had any known enemies.

Three of the girls had boyfriends, all of which we had interviewed, but none of them had given away anything that immediately made me suspicious of them. We couldn't act like a police force by any means, but the questions we asked for the newspaper could still reveal information. At the end of the day, though, we knew more about the missing girls as people, but almost nothing new about the case itself.

I then jumped when the door to our clubroom flew open. Again.

 _Déjà vu._

"Guys!" exclaimed none other than Yukari. "I've got news!"

"What's up?" Kurumu asked after overcoming the surprise of witnessing the younger girl's loud entry. I blinked when I watched Ginei step in behind her, one hand in his pocket and the other holding another small stack of papers. He dropped them on the desk while the witch presented Kurumu and me with her own flyer.

"Look!" she said. "Another girl went missing!"

My eyes widened as I jumped up from my seat, grabbing the flyer. Sure enough, a new girl was on it, and she had been declared missing. And like all the others, she was a very pretty student.

"We just got word," Yukari continued. "This isn't even public yet!"

Our kidnapper seemed to have struck again.

"The kidnappings are getting more frequent," Ginei commented while Kurumu peered over my shoulder. "This might start getting even more serious soon. At this rate, we'll be losing a girl per day in no time."

What could prompt someone to start kidnapping more often? Did the opportunity just present itself? Had this girl wandered into the kidnapper's territory without knowing it?

"Hold on," Kurumu mumbled, taking the paper from me and examining it, squinting at the picture. "This girl…I swear I've seen her somewhere before."

The rest of us gave Kurumu a series of surprised looks. I took another look at the picture, frowning at it. Sure enough, now that Kurumu had mentioned it, this girl _was_ beginning to look more familiar…

 _Symbiote, do you remember her? I can't seem to put my finger on it._

The alien thought about it, recalling the events of the past few days until—

"The girl from art class," I whispered, eyes widening in realization. "The one who—"

"Skipped gym to see Miss Ishigami," Kurumu finished, her expression mirroring mine as she looked at me. "Yeah, I remember now! She was the one who walked into art class a few days ago and said she had skipped gym to come have fun with Miss Ishigami!"

Yukari gasped. "What if one of the gym teachers had something to do with this? Maybe this girl was kidnapped for skipping gym class?"

Ginei's eyes narrowed. "You might be right," he muttered. "But do we know if this new girl is even connected to the other seven?"

"No clue," I mumbled, putting a finger to my chin. "She seems to fit the profile of being pretty, but there are a lot of pretty girls at this school, and there's already been a record of a corrupt gym teacher."

But wouldn't that just mean that Yōkai Academy had been exceptionally careful in choosing Kotsubo's replacement? And of course, there was more than one gym teacher at Yōkai. Ugh, _again,_ there were so many explanations and so little we could see!

"We could interview the gym teachers," Ginei offered. "This is the most recent disappearance, so we should get on the trial before it gets cold."

"Yeah, yeah, good idea," I said, nodding in agreement. "We could also try to get some input from Miss Ishigami. Maybe she knows some things about this new missing girl? Kurumu and I could talk to the art teacher—and tell Moka what's going on—while you two start with the gym teachers. We'll catch up and help out with that lot after we've talked to Miss Ishigami."

Ginei nodded. "That sounds like a plan to me." He turned to Yukari. "Come on, let's find this kidnapper, save those girls, and become the heroes of the Academy!"

"Focus on the girls and the kidnapper first," I said, gently nudging Kurumu and gesturing for her to grab some notebooks and pencils for us to write down what Miss Ishigami might say. "We find them, stop the kidnapper, and _then_ we can think about the public's opinion of us. Good luck guys."

They nodded and Kurumu and I briskly walked out of the room at that. I could hear Ginei and Yukari grabbing their own supplies and going in the other direction behind us, and I found myself quietly gulping, hoping that this wasn't the doing of yet another corrupt teacher.

"Do you think this is another case of a crazy teacher?" Kurumu asked, as though reading my mind.

"I hope not," I answered. "We've got enough crazies in the student body, and another teacher from the black lagoon is the last thing Yōkai needs right now."

But we couldn't ignore the possibility—as horrible as the thought might have sounded. Many alternatives were running through my head as the two of us walked, some of them ideas from the symbiote and others from me. We couldn't come up with a concrete theory that withstood all the variables involved with something like a serial kidnapper, and before I knew it, I was jerked from my thoughts by the sight of the art room—or building, if I were to get technical.

"Moka's probably still here," Kurumu commented as I reached for the door.

"She is," I replied, twisting the doorknob and pushing the door in. "Her modeling for the day just started. There's no way she's already done." The two of us stepped into the quiet art room. This first room was where class was held, and if I wasn't mistaken, the teacher was having her photo shoot or whatever it was with Moka in one of the backrooms. Kurumu and I began to head towards the backrooms in question, but stopped when a faint sound became audible to us.

Crying.

I blinked, slowly turning as a sense of unease began to rapidly build within both myself and the symbiote. My eyes settled on a large metal locker, from which the quiet crying seemed to be emanating. I glanced at the succubus, who, in turn, looked back at me, confused and wary. I jerked my head towards the locker, and after she nodded, we carefully stepped towards it, stopping just inches away. The crying had grown louder now—I knew that there was someone inside there.

"Be ready for anything," I whispered. The warning was as much for the symbiote as it was for Kurumu.

The alien agreed and prepared itself for whatever may be in store for us while the girl nodded and allowed her nails to extend several inches. I, meanwhile, reached out, my fingers wrapping around the shiny handle of the locker, and I gave it an experimental tug. To my surprise, it wasn't locked like I was expecting it to be, and the door slowly swung open. But what I saw left me utterly confused.

There was a…a statue. Of a girl—of a _crying_ girl—with _actual tears_ rolling down its cheeks. It looked to be naked, with the arms wrapped around the breasts and the legs pressed tightly together. For several seconds, I just stared on in shock at the crying statue.

 _What the heck is this? How does a stone statue cry?_

Unless it wasn't stone, the symbiote seemed to say after snapping out of its confusion. My eyes narrowed as the previous unease began building up to new levels.

 _No way…_

My hand shot into my pocket, yanking out the flyer with the picture of the newest missing girl. I brought it up and held it next to the face of the statue and...

"A perfect match," Kurumu whispered. "It's the girl who went missing!"

My mind was racing. This was the girl, _this was the girl!_ A crying stone statue of someone who was reported missing today? There was no way that this was a coincidence. But why was it _here_ of all places? Had it been stashed in the locker and brought to the art room? The locker hadn't always been there, I was sure of that. I had been in this room before, but then why was it here?

 _Who's the first person to come to mind when thinking of an art room?_

An artist…or the art teacher.

"Kurumu," I breathed, dread building up inside. "Do you think the art teacher could have…?"

The succubus blinked at me before her eyes widened in realization. "She looks for models," she whispered back. "Pretty girls to base her art off of. All the missing people have been pretty girls…"

But that would mean…

 _Moka!_

"Stay close to me," I hissed as I shut the locker door and began walking. "We need to find Moka, find Miss Ishigami, and find out how to free that girl and the others. If you see the art teacher, don't mention any of this just yet. Let me…handle…"

I trailed off as Kurumu and I froze in place. There, in the doorway leading into one of the back rooms, stood Hitomi Ishigami, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. The three of us stood still for several seconds, watching each other and trying to think of what to do and say. The woman's eyes darted between us, the locker I had just shut, and the paper in my hand depicting the most recent missing girl.

It must have become apparent that we were on to her, or at least very suspicious of her, because the look in Miss Ishigami's eyes grew more worried when she saw the flyer I was holding.

 _Did she hear us? Is she gonna—crap! She's gonna—_

She bolted.

"After her!" I shouted, taking off after the retreating teacher. If she wasn't brought down, we might never find the other girls, and if we couldn't catch her, the chances of someone finding her again after this were dangerously low.

A quick glance over my shoulder told me that Kurumu was hot on my heels. "I'll try and cut her off!" she yelled, jerking to the left and running through a different doorway. I, meanwhile, followed in the art teacher's footsteps and ran into the hall she had gone into. I could see her running ahead of me, and while she may have gotten a head start, I was gaining on her, _fast_. If anything, I at least had the advantage in speed.

She rounded a corner, and I felt as though my heart stopped when I heard what came next.

"Miss Ishigami? What's—GAH!"

 _Moka! No, what did she do?!_

I whirled around the same corner, skidding to a stop and gasping at what I saw.

Miss Ishigami was holding Moka as the two of them faced me. The art teacher's bandana was gone, and what looked like _snakes_ swung freely from her head, one of which was dangerously close to Moka's neck. The woman was grinning at me, her hand clamped around Moka's cheeks, pressing them together and preventing the panicked girl from speaking or screaming. Her other arm held Moka captive, and the snake next to the vampire's neck was probably what kept her in check.

 _The snakes…the stones…I remember this!_

I could recall reading about this monster. Some sort of Medusa or a Gorgon. A bite from one of their lightning-fast snakes could turn people into stone, and a powerful member of their species could turn others into stone with mere eye contact. That, however, was just about all I knew.

To be safe, I made a point of not looking into her eyes.

"One more step and she's done for," Miss Ishigami warned. "I mean it when I say I will _end_ her!"

"Ishigami," I began, dropping the 'Miss' title—because whatever respect I had for her as a teacher and as an adult had gone out the window. "Put her down. She's done nothing wrong, she's just an innocent girl."

The woman cackled. "I know. But I need something to ensure you'll do as you're told. You got that? You be a good little boy and Moka here won't join the rest of the 'missing girls'."

I didn't believe her. I doubted that she'd actually let Moka and I go. But how could I get her back? And where was Kurumu?!

 _Wait, Kurumu planned on cutting Ishigami off. This room has more than one entrance—Kurumu might be able to sneak up on her! But I need to stall and give her enough time to get here. Symbiote, search for something I can use to take down Ishigami and get Moka away. I'll stall until either you have a plan or Kurumu shows up._

The symbiote was on top of it before I could even finish, scanning the room for anything I could use. I, meanwhile, held out my hands in a defensive gesture and took a step back.

"The missing girls…that was you, wasn't it?" I asked. "The girl in the locker was your latest victim."

"She was a bit annoying at times, but she was still a beauty," Ishigami said with a frown. "She's so much more perfect now—her beauty captured in despair and misery, forever immortalized in stone."

I eyed the flowing snakes on the woman's head.

 _Annoying? What, was her true form a mongoose or something?_

"The girls you capture are turned into those statues?" I asked. "Are they at least still alive?"

"Yes! And that's the _beauty_ of it!" shouted the teacher. "They're stone, but they have emotion! Sadness and despair!"

My eyes narrowed slightly. "They're people, not exhibits for you to display and make 'art' of."

"We have different ideas of art then," Ishigami said with a giggle, taking another step towards the door. "Silly boy, you're just a narrow-minded child…"

 _Symbiote, anything?_

Nothing. The alien hadn't thought up of a plan yet that could get Moka away alive. I wasn't having any luck either.

"Where are the other girls?" I asked, stalling for time to think of something. "Can they be freed?"

"Freed?" Ishigami parroted. "They're not trapped. They're in a state of glory! They should be honored, I've elevated their beauty and—ARG!" The teacher suddenly toppled forward over Moka with a cry of pain. I shot forward, moving as fast as my body would allow and crossing the room almost instantly, grabbing Moka and jerking her out of the way.

I was then greeted with the sight of an annoyed Kurumu holding a chair in her hands and staring down at Ishigami with disdain. "How about I elevate my foot up your ass?" she sneered before turning to me. "Sorry that took so long—this place is a freakin' maze."

I, meanwhile, immediately went to work examining Moka. "Are you hurt?" I asked hurriedly. "Did she bite you?"

"I—I'm fine," Moka mumbled, rubbing her cheeks with her hand. They were red from being forcefully held for so long, but other than that and the look of shock on her face, Moka looked alright.

I gave her another once-over just to be safe, and when I was satisfied that she didn't have any fatal injuries, I helped her to her feet. "Alright then, Kurumu, grab Moka and fly her to the infirmary," I began, turning to the succubus. "I want to make sure Ishigami didn't inject her with any venom or anything without us knowing. I'll be right behind you, just let me grab—"

Spider-sense.

Eyes widening, I forcefully shoved Moka and planted my foot into Kurumu's stomach, sending her flying backwards, but at the same time, forcing both girls out of the way of the dozen or so snakes that were shooting up to grab us. Spider-sense still blazing, I jerked spastically to avoid the fangs aimed at me, just barely back-flipping away to safety.

This all happened in a split second, and as my feet touched the ground again, Moka tumbled into a desk and Kurumu slammed into the wall, both of them hurt, but unbitten.

As the black suit began forming around me, I began blasting Ishigami with impact webbing, forcing her back momentarily. "Kurumu!" I roared. "Fly back and warn the teachers! If they give you crap about going out on your own, tell them they can take it up with me! Take Mok—"

A thought struck me, and a grin began forming on my face as an idea came to mind.

"On second thought…" I shot a web line at Moka, grabbing her and yanking her to me. I saw Ishigami's snakes reeling back as they prepared to strike while my fingers wrapped around the rosary and tugged on it.

The snakes shot forward, mouths agape as they flew across the room, extending from the art teacher's scalp and closing the distance between us almost instantly. I was forced to backpedal, hauling a now-glowing Moka with me as the snakes came far too close for comfort. A brilliant light burst from Moka, revealing her inner self after a moment of blinding brightness, who then abruptly grunted as I jerked her out of the way of a snake, its jaws snapping around empty air inches away from the vampire's foot.

"Morning, sunshine!" I called cheerfully as we landed, sliding back several feet. "Welcome to the party."

The inner Moka shot me a quizzing look before looking up at our opponent. "So…this is the kidnapper you have been trying to find." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement.

"Yup," I replied, rising to my feet. "It's like a crazy cat lady, but with snakes instead of cats."

Ishigami, meanwhile, glanced between us, looking us up and down as though sizing us up.

"Hmm…yes, I see what I could do with this," she said, a grin appearing on her face. "How does this sound: young lovers locked in an eternal dance."

Moka and I blinked. "What?" we both asked simultaneously.

The woman chuckled. "Yes, that'll do nicely. That's how I'll petrify the both of you—as two young souls dancing together."

"We are _not_ lovers," Moka barked. "And I would not dream of dancing with him for eternity."

I raised an eyebrow, placing a hand over my chest in an over-exaggerated manner. "And after all that work I did getting you out of your gem?" I asked dramatically. "Moka, I feel like I'm the only one trying in this relationship."

She jerked around, facing me with an angry glare. I snickered at the reaction, but my attention was quickly drawn back to the art teacher as she spread her arms out, her hair waving about erratically and extending as the grin on her face widened.

"You two will make fine works of art in my collection," she cried gleefully. I threw a glance at Kurumu, who still hadn't left, and frantically motioned for her to get a move on.

"Go!" I shouted. "We'll handle Rapunzel here!" She looked between us hesitantly, but I pressed on. "Just go, Kurumu! Get word to the other teachers!"

The look of hesitation on her face was replaced with determination after a moment of pause and she turned around. "Don't die!" she shouted as she began running.

I chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it." I turned to the vampire next to me while Ishigami started advancing. "Those snakes of hers are outrageously fast. Give me some time to get her full attention, and then you can take her out. That work for you?"

"I can take her on my own, if I wished," Moka declared, her pride beginning to show in her voice.

"Moka, those snakes are fast, and one bite turns you into stone. Do you have anything besides sheer speed to help you avoid getting bit?"

"Well…no. Do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," I answered. "So, since I'm the one with the helpful don't-get-bitten power, I'll draw the snakes away, and you deliver a finishing blow. Do we have a plan or are we going to wait here until she decides to kill us while we argue?"

Moka gave me a submissive sigh.

"I'll take that as a yes."

 _Symbiote, let's do this._

The alien would have grinned in anticipation if it could have.

I launched myself forward, spider-sense tingling violently as Ishigami cackled and sent her snakes after me. I ducked between the first one and slid between the next two. That hair of hers indeed moved incredibly fast, almost like blurs through the air, but the spider-sense and my symbiote-enhanced speed kept me one step ahead of them.

Bouncing off the floor and flipping through the air, I curved out of the way of yet another snake while slapping an advancing serpent away. One of them, however, I decided to catch. With my fingers still tightly wrapped around the snake's head, I landed somewhere behind Ishigami, yanking on the snake I held.

Because one of the quickest ways to distract someone was to annoy the crap out of them. And what was one of the best ways to annoy a girl?

Pull her hair.

The art teacher yelped as I tugged on her hair, pulling her along. I could see Moka move forward, but Ishigami saw her too. A few snakes shot out to grab the vampire, and while she was still incredibly fast, she didn't have a spider-sense to warn her of exactly which direction the attacks were coming from. Her face contorted in a frown, and Moka halted her attack and backed up slightly.

 _Those snakes are fast enough to make even Moka wary, and way too quick for me to web them up. Moka won't be able to get a good shot in unless I've got Ishigami's FULL attention and until I've got all the snakes focused on me._

My solution: pull harder.

Ishigami was jerked as I gave her hair a faster, harder yank, but, unfortunately for both of us, the snake actually _came loose_. The woman roared in pain as several feet of hair—which doubled up as a full snake—was torn from her head.

"RAH! You insolent little—"

She seemed to remember that there was an enemy both in front and behind her, because she interrupted herself by whirling around, lashing out with her snakes in all direction, once again forcing Moka and I to keep out distance. A quick glance to the side revealed a shelf stocked with panting supplies, and while dozens of snakes slashed through the air, preventing anybody from getting close to Ishigami, they probably wouldn't do much to an inanimate object flying at high speeds.

Moving quickly, I shot a web line at the shelf, sticking it to a sealed bucket of paint. I pulled my arm back, dragging the bucket with it, and swung it through the air, letting the web line extend further as I slammed the metal cylinder into the woman's head, eliciting a loud grunt of pain as the bucket exploded, drenching her in blue paint.

"Now, now, Ishigami," I taunted. "You know the rules of art class: keep lengthy hair tied up and under control to avoid getting paint in it. This is what happens when you don't follow those rules."

The look of fury on her face told me that her attention was quickly slipping away from Moka and settling on me.

 _Come on, just a bit longer, and Moka will have a perfect opening._

The vampire stayed her ground. She wasn't jumping at the first possible opportunity; rather, she was waiting for the _perfect_ opportunity now.

That, and she wasn't actually focusing on Ishigami. Blinking, I followed her line of sight and found it settling on one of the snakes. One that just so happened to be watching her.

 _Of course! Ishigami's been keeping an eye on Moka with those snakes!_

And because it would alert Ishigami and serve as a reminder, Moka couldn't just yell to me to try and get the snake's attention.

If I wanted to get this lady to forget about Moka, I needed to make her _mad_.

 _Alright, I've royally ticked people off before. All I've got to do is use my good ol' Spidey charm and she'll be screaming bloody murder in no time._

"So," I began. "I find it kinda funny how you turn people into stone to get perfectly 'sculpted' statues, and yet your work still comes out so bad. I mean, I saw that girl in the locker before you got to her. She was pretty good-looking, and yet you still screwed that up. Horrible pose, the tears messed it all up, and the constant sound of crying just ruins the image even more."

Ishigami's eyes widened. "What?!"

"And you technically don't 'make' anything," I continued with a shrug. "All you do is bite a victim. The statues might as well make themselves. No real talent whatsoever."

"You _dare_ insult my work? And then you have the audacity to tell me I have no talent?" she growled. "Stupid boy! You don't even understand what art truly is, do you?!"

"Anything other than that sorry excuse in the locker over there," I replied, jerking my thumb in the direction of the girl who Kurumu and I had found.

The woman screeched and sent waves of snakes at me. The movements were less coordinated and more spastic now, making them all the more easily dodged—a fact I was silently thankful for. I noted, however, that the snake watching Moka was still in place, but it was definitely less focused on keeping its attention on her, if the way it was swaying now was any indication, given that it was once as still and steady as a rock.

 _Heh, steady as a 'rock'._

Ishigami was actively approaching me now, forcing me to continuously walk backwards towards the edge of the room as her snakes kept lashing out. "I am an artist!" she shouted. "You are just a child! Do not think to insult my work, _boy_! I create beautiful things, all you do is flap your gums!"

"I flap my gums, you whip your hair, it's all the same," I said with a wave of my hand. "I bet I can guess your theme though…"

"Do you _ever_ shut up?!"

One of the snakes got dangerously close to biting my arm. I narrowly avoided it, my spider-sense telling me that I had two more coming up to bite my feet. Instead of jumping and offering them a chance to bite me from below, however, I dashed forward, making a point to step on one of the snakes before rolling to the side.

 _That's right, get mad, follow me…_

I could see the snake still observing Moka. It was just barely keeping its attention on her.

 _If I try grabbing it with a web, Ishigami might realize what I'm doing and just send a different snake to watch Moka. She'd also be reminded that she's still got a second enemy here. If she looks away out of anger, trying to focus on me, however…the chance of her remembering falls that much lower._

I needed to make her angrier.

"Besides the statues, do you have any artistic abilities?" I asked, backpedaling away from another snake. "If you got accepted here just because you showed them a statue of some poor sucker you bit, I'd be pretty disappointed."

"Of course I have artistic talents!" she roared, charging at me. "I can paint! I can draw! I can sculpt!"

Dodging another set of snakes, I laughed at her. "Did you prove any of that, or did you get accepted based on your word alone? 'Cause that's the only way I can envision an unqualified artists receiving permission to teach students."

" _Unqualified?!_ " she shrieked. " _Oh you snot-nosed little—!"_

The snake turned away from Moka. It whirled around to face me, and I could see the grin on the vampire's face even as she leapt forward. She closed the distance between herself and Ishigami almost instantly, and I saw the woman's eyes widen in fear as she realized her mistake.

"Stupid belly-crawler," Moka taunted, skidding to a stop next to Ishigami. The woman's head was swiveling to face the new threat, but it was already too late.

"KNOW YOUR PLACE!"

Moka delivered a devastating kick to Ishigami's side. The woman was launched away, straight through a wall. I winced as I watched the layers of brick collapse as she flew through. After the dust had settled, I whistled as I put my hands on my hips. "Solid kick, Moka."

The vampire in question let out a 'hmmf' as she walked up to me, flipping her hair while we moved through the hole in the wall.

But then we saw what was inside.

An unconscious Ishigami lied at the center of the room, but surrounding her were seven crying stone statues—the seven girls.

"We found them," I whispered. "Moka, we found the missing girls!"

"So we did," she mumbled, putting a hand to her chin. "It appears the woman truly was obsessed with trying to create art by turning others to stone."

I walked forward, the sounds of crying filling my ears. Looking around, I was both saddened by the sight of the girls, but at the same time, gladdened by the fact that we'd soon be freeing them. There was also some kind of door in the back of the room—one that was probably hidden from the outside. Turning on my heel, I blasted the art teacher with webbing, pinning her and each of her snakes to the floor.

 _Well, that was fun. Not as good as the Nostalgia Kraken, but it'll have to do._

The symbiote silently agreed, but was still satisfied that it had gotten a healthy dose of adrenaline.

"—seems to be capable of detecting danger regardless of whether he can see it or not," I heard a voice mutter. Blinking, I realized Moka was talking to herself.

 _Oh, this is still happening._

"Also able to get into an opponent's head to make them angry, not just to draw out positive qualities," she continued quietly. "Could—"

"I'm right here, you know," I interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "I can hear you making those observations of yours."

Moka blinked, but shrugged after a second. "No matter. I was just about to hypothesize that you might talk a lot during a fight to throw an opponent off—make them angry and prone to mistakes."

"Or I just like to talk," I said with a wink before gesturing to the girls. "Do you know how they can be freed?"

"If anything, the staff will interrogate the one who put them there," she answered. "I believe they will be saved soon."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, I feel as though my presence is no longer necessary," Moka continued. "I think it would be best for me—"

"You're just trying to avoid having to deal with the aftermath, aren't you?" I asked with a knowing smile.

"…"

"Oh I knew it," I chuckled. Moka crossed her arms and turned away.

"There is sufficient evidence," she argued, stepping up to me as we leaned over Ishigami's bound body, looking down at the crazy woman. "Besides, I am not very useful in situations outside of combat. You know this."

"You're fine," I waved her off before smiling. "But I guess you're right about the evidence part—once these girls are free, there'll be plenty of witnesses to tell the teachers just who did this to them." I nodded towards the rosary Moka was still holding. "Go ahead and get some rest, snake-slayer. Just be sure to return to your dorm before you pass out so that your other half wakes up in a safe place."

Moka nodded, an action I copied—possibly out of some form of respect for her—before looking back down at the defeated art teacher.

 _That's two crazy teachers now…just how many more of them are there?_

Violent students, corrupted staff members; just what else was this place going to throw at us? What else would we have to face?

My hand balled into a fist before relaxing again.

Whatever it might be…I'd be there to fight it.

Because Spider-Man did not back down.

* * *

 **A/N:** _'Not as good as the Nostalgia Kraken, but it'll have to do.' That right there basically sums up this chapter. I don't know why, but I felt like it was a little…ehh. Maybe it's because I had so many issues with writing/editing this chapter and now I'm annoyed with it, but I still felt as though it just wasn't as good as last chapter. I don't know, tell me what you guys think. Constructive criticism is welcomed. Also, I'm going to start trying to return my chapters to a lower word count. I mean, we started with 4k word chapters, then went to 8k, then 10k, and now close to 20k? Seriously? No thank you. So, shorter, more commonly-posted chapters are my new goal._

 **Explanations/Clarifications (IMPORTANT! READ THEM!)**

 **The Conversation:** _I figured Peter would want to start small with letting Inner Moka out for socializing, so I had him have a one-on-one chat with her to start her off. I know it seems like a strange conversation, but I've been told that Inner Moka has poor social skills, and it made sense to assume that a conversation with her would be…weird when she's outside of battle. In combat, she's confident, comfortable, and ready to go. Outside of it, she's sorta lost. So, the way she handles herself will probably come off as strange._

 **Observant Peter:** _I'm going to point this out so that people don't get confused in the future and so that people don't get worked up about it, asking why Peter can be a detective of sorts but still suck at comprehending emotions at times. Being observant, helping people with emotional problems, and understanding romantic feelings are very different things. I know that Peter can be notoriously bad at understanding a girl's feelings when she's interested in him, but I also know that he and the symbiote, when working together, can make connections and do basic detective work. I also know that Peter, in this story, has been shown to be able to help girls like Mizore work through emotional problems, but think about it; Peter is not a trained professional when it comes to this—he's got some talent for helping people with emotional issues, yeah, but helping someone work through romantic feelings seems like something that you have to train yourself to do. Peter hasn't done that. He's a good listener and capable of connecting with others, and a skilled fighter who can make observations and conclusions, but not a romance master—hence why he's not too good at recognizing feelings having to do with love. I just wanted to get that all cleared up so that people don't accuse me of being inconsistent with his character by telling me that he can't be both oblivious and observant. Technically, he can._

 **Inner Moka's Observations:** _This is here to explain why she'd bother with this and why she hasn't figured out that Peter is human. Inner Moka's a fighter, and it felt like it'd make sense for her to treat an unfamiliar social situation with a similar attitude towards an unfamiliar opponent: observe and analyze. She took so much interest not only because Peter is powerful, but because he doesn't make much sense from a monster's standpoint. No aura, crazy scent, abnormal 'monster form'; all of it caught Inner Moka's attention, resulting in her paying attention to Peter from within the rosary. She hasn't realized he's human for a few main reasons, the first and most important of which being that monsters are taught that no human could possibly get into Yōkai Academy. In her eyes, the chance of him being human is basically zero. Imagine you have a very jumpy friend; there's a tiny chance his/her family are criminals on the run. But would you honestly think that? No, of course not! You'd probably attribute his/her actions to anxiety, insecurity, etc. The point is that, from a monster's point of view, the idea of a human getting into Yōkai Academy is crazy, and there's no real reason that monsters would immediately think "he's weird; he must be human". He could be a half-breed of sorts for all they know. It's like taking the craziest, least likely explanation for something and deciding that it's the right one._

 **Peter and Moka vs. Ishigami:** _In canon, Ishigami's snakes were all conveniently wrapped around Inner Moka, and all she had to do was rip them all at once. If that weren't the case, I believe that the fight would have been much harder for her. And in this story, it was. I also read that Miss Ishigami's species might actually be a type of S-Class monster. Not sure about that one, but she's definitely powerful. Plus,_ _a fight with Peter and Moka working together to defeat a powerful opponent seemed more fun than just one of them going solo for it. And while Peter is confident, he's not stupid. He's not afraid to ask for help against an opponent capable of turning him into an undying, forever-crying stone statue. And with Inner Moka being so close at the moment, he saw an opportunity to improve his chances of winning, and so he let her out._

 **Harry and Gwen:** _I plan on making use of Gwen's involvement in Peter's life later on, so she'll hopefully get some attention in future chapters. For Harry, I'm going to point out that there are several different takes on his friendship with Peter, so I'm not sure which one I'm going to base him off, but we'll see. How involved he'll be in the story also remains to be decided._

 **Mizore:** _I left her out of this chapter because, in the original version, back when I had her make appearances, they felt really rushed and forced, so I decided to leave Mizore out for now and give her a proper reentry scene later on._

 **Line Breaks:** _Yeah, I'm starting to use them. Writing long transition scenes became tedious and both boring to create and read, so I decided I'd experiment a bit with line breaks—which, honestly, were a tool that I should have made use of since the start. Is it odd to throw them in now? Maybe, but it means that there'll be less transition scenes that have to be narrated._


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Rufael:** _Alright, to start off, thank you for all your compliments on my story (Peter's meeting with Moka was actually inspired by FrivolousThoughts' interpretation, so a big nod to him). The symbiote doesn't make him more aggressive with each fight, but it does have an effect on him, he just keeps it in check. It does have its drawbacks though…Peter carried Kurumu back during Chapter 6. I had it in my head that she passed out from fatigue after the fight. I don't intend on stopping where the anime did—the plot got better in the manga so that's where I want to go. Okay, I think that's everything, but let me know if I missing anything in your reviews. That being said, here's Chapter 16._

 **Betoran:** _Thanks!_

 **Devilboy101:** _Glad to hear you liked it! I've been thinking about what to do with the math teacher, so we'll see. Peter's a smart guy, so he doesn't need help, but one of the girls might…_

 **Iceblade26:** _He doesn't think she has a mental disorder, he thinks she's been hurt/deeply affected in a negative way by how she's been treated. The symbiote can be addictive in its own ways, so there's that. And of course he wants to leave, he could get executed for being there._

 **A Superior Tentacle:** _Why thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the way I'm handling things. Sorry for the long reply section and the "Read that note!" things, I like responding to reviews and sometimes, there's just something I absolutely need readers to know, so I make it obvious._

 **coldblue:** _No worries! Sorry for the late chapter :) Your analysis of Inner Moka's personality and feelings are actually pretty much identical to mine. I guess great minds think alike. Hmm, maybe Peter can introduce her to books or social media, we'll see. And yeah, maybe she can start seeing him as a closer friend. You're right, Tsukune never seemed to ask about Moka's life or past. It's weird, but I guess the original author of the series wanted to focus on other things. Now, for your questions: 1) Possibly, there's no real reason why he wouldn't. We'll see. 2) Again, we'll have to see. I'm working on all this as we go along, so Peter's past is being built up on the side while I write the story. 3) If there is any romance, I actually had the exact same thought you did. I think it would be fun to write too. 4) I've thought about it. It would make some sense, yeah. I'm trying to think of a way I can incorporate it in. 5) This is a tricky one. So far, I've avoided mentioning it so that I don't get into technical issues with it, but I'm working this one out as I go along. As usual, your suggestions are very interesting, and I'm taking some in particular into account. I'm sorry for sorta sidelining Yukari, but she does get some more 'screen time' this chapter, so I hope you enjoy that. Alright, if I've missed anything, let me know, and thanks for reviewing :)_

 **treyalexander63917:** _Telling you would spoil it, now wouldn't it? :)_

 **Pyromania101:** _Well, I'll definitely try to make it as interesting and original as possible (though it's bound to be a little predictable, given how long these characters have been around)._

 **LunarShadow 1906:** _She probably will be, yeah. Awesome! Glad to hear you're liking them so much!_

 **theallaroundnerd:** _I won't spoil anything about Gwen, but you'll probably figure it out very soon. Peter's fighting isn't based on martial arts yet, but he might be willing to learn. He's got nothing against learning and improving. I'm not sure if Inner Moka would be willing to teach, though; we'll have to see. I'm glad you liked Pete's pun. And thanks for the support with my erratic schedule—it's nice to know you understand. I think that's everything for your two reviews, so tell me if I missed anything. Stay awesome._

 **Tobias97:** _Thanks!_

 **Catter the Mad:** _Well, what professionals often look for in these cases is motive. Did Ishigami have any motive to kidnap? Not that Peter and the others knew of—they had no way of knowing she was insane. But would the gym teachers have some sort of motive? Yes (the girl skipped their class). Anyway, that's just my logic._

 **Laxard:** _Huh, well, okay then. Yeah, your theory might explain the lack of superheroes compared to supervillains. Ah, so that's what you meant with that saying. I know a little Russian, but I can just BARELY read it though. Anyway, the ring has its own purpose, so it's a little more than just decoration. Yeah, comics and manga can be a bit weird to understand for those of another culture—I've had a few troubles with manga, but I can understand American comics just fine since they're from my own culture. So the line breaks are broken? What do they look like to you when you try to view my chapters?_

 **AnimeA55Kicker:** _Hey, maybe that will be the pairing? Who knows? :)_

 **6tailedninja:** _As with most versions of Spider-Man, this one is pretty fast. He's perfectly capable of dodging someone like Ginei, but he can be overwhelmed by a continuous barrage of attacks, if they're fast enough (think of being bullet-hosed—that's basically what I'm getting at)._

 **Drunkle Qrow:** _Thank you._

 **Server lock:** _You know, I never really thought of that, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The alien isn't exactly in tune with romantic feelings, and it might have effected Peter's perception of those emotions—but his kind and caring nature has still kept his ability to recognize it to an extent, all while still being able to connect with others on a personal/emotional level. Plus, love is a notoriously difficult emotion to see/comprehend, so even if the symbiote can help Peter recognize signs of other emotions by simply feeding him raw information on the person, understanding and pointing out romantic interests would still be difficult (Peter still comprehends the signs of more basic emotions and emotional pains, but love is, well, love; it's always difficult). Your explanation makes perfect sense though, and describes the symbiote pretty well._

 **Animeguy1101:** _I replied with a PM, but you've already read it._

 **Croniklerx/Arachnophile801:** _You know the drill. Check that inbox._

 **Zeemz:** _Glad you liked it. I don't know anything about them merging, as I haven't finished the second manga yet, so we'll just have to wait and see._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _I'm thinking of combining them with a manga-based arc later on down the line, so no, they're not here just yet._

 **Spidey 4 Lyfe:** _I'm happy to hear that you liked it :) I think I had problems with it because of the migraine that came with editing it._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thanks, always glad to hear that!_

 **Zboy2:** _Peter stays in contact with Aunt May over the phone in Yōkai Academy, I just haven't written those scenes in. I'm not sure if you can even send letters over the ocean, or why you'd do that when you can call the person instead._

 **infadinityfollower:** _First off, thank you for all the compliments. Now then, in regards to Peter versus Nagare; yeah, I'll admit that it could have been handled better, but, I made a choice, and then made the best I could out of that poor choice. But I will point out again that Peter had no clue what a Madslug was at the time, so the gas was a complete surprise for him._

 **BraveVesperia:** _I know, he's a lot stronger than he lets on._

 **TheLiteHasTruth2:** _Well, he would probably terrify the girls that way :)_

 **A/N:** _So yeah, I'm skipping my daily run to make enough time to edit all this. I know I said I wanted to cut back to 10k word chapters, and I still do want to cut back, but this one is a bit slow, so I decided to finish the entire setup for the action in one, larger chapter._

* * *

 **-Chapter 16: Spiders, Witches, and Hills-**

I tapped my finger against the desk repeatedly, watching the door to our room and waiting for it to open. The rest of the Newspaper Club was with me, all of us lounging about in our clubroom as we waited for Miss Nekonome to return.

"It'd be so cool if Miss Nekonome could show up on time to her own meetings," Ginei mumbled, balancing a pencil on his finger with a bored look on his face.

Next to me, Moka was poking at a sleeping Kurumu. "Peter, she's nodding off…"

"Eh, let her," I replied with a shrug. "She's been working herself half to death to get her grades up enough to avoid taking classes during the upcoming break. I think she almost fell asleep during math today too." The poor thing was having a lot of trouble with some of the biology worksheets, and while helping her to work through them and learn what they had to teach, I had seen just how much energy she had been expending. This trend had ended up extending to _all_ her classes as she desperately tried to catch up and improve her grades.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Yukari pull out a Sharpie, grinning madly at Kurumu's sleeping form. "I know _exactly_ what I'm drawing on your face," she whispered while uncapping the marker. I frowned and immediately shot a web line at the marker, yanking it out of her hands.

"You know," I began with a raised eyebrow, catching the marker while Yukari yelped indignantly and glared at me. "I've got a much better idea: let's _not_ do that."

The little witch crossed her arms with a huff. "You're no fun."

"Oh, is that so?" I asked, grinning. "Fine then; if anyone ever tries to draw on your face while you sleep, I promise I won't ruin the fun."

Yukari promptly clamped her mouth shut before mumbling something under her breath. This elicited a giggle out of Moka while Ginei just shook his head with a quiet chuckle.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone!" said a familiar voice.

The rest of us—minus Kurumu—jerked to attention as Miss Nekonome walked into the room, smiling cheerfully as she gave us all a nod. "There were a few complications, but I've finally arrived with the good news!"

 _Good news? Has my request to replace our copy machine finally gone through? That thing looks like it might have been made somewhere during the late seventeen-hundreds._

Seriously, that copy machine must have been the Internet Explorer of copy machines.

"We're going on a club trip!"

 _Rats. Not a new—wait, what?_

"A club trip?" Moka asked in surprise, voicing my question before I could ask it.

"Mhmm!" the cat-eared teacher answered, nodding enthusiastically. "The Newspaper Club has been working very hard, and with the upcoming break and the great weather forecasted in the human world, I thought it'd be a great time for you guys to get a vacation."

Hold on, did she just say—

"The…human world?" Yukari asked quietly. "We're going to the human world?" Miss Nekonome gave us another excited nod.

"Yup! A two-day camping trip! You'll still be doing a little research though, but I promise it'll be fun!" she exclaimed.

The surprised symbiote made no attempt to hide its excitement at the chance to see our world again.

I momentarily pushed the idea to the side as Miss Nekonome continued. "Now, there are a few rules. For one, you all have to be above a certain grade in all your classes—otherwise, you'll be doing makeup work to catch up and raise your grades." Ginei noticeably flinched, and I was about to glance at Kurumu before I realized that she was still sleeping.

 _Well, she did work exceptionally hard to get her grades up in time for the break…we'll soon see if it paid off._

"And there's also a certain…complication involved with the trip," Miss Nekonome said with a sheepish grin. "Had I known sooner, I would have rescheduled, but it's a little late for that now…"

"What's wrong?" Moka asked, frowning in confusion.

"Well, you see, ah," Miss Nekonome began before stopping herself and sighing. "Newspaper Club, I'm sure you all remember Miss Shirayuki."

My eyes widened as I sat up. "Is something wrong with her? Is she okay?"

"Oh yes, yes, she's fine," Miss Nekonome answered quickly. "But…here's the deal: while Mizore has greatly improved her behavior since Mister Kotsubo was exposed, and while her counseling sessions show that she's far more stable than she was before, she still needs to learn how to interact with her peers."

Oh, so _that's_ what this was about. I think I knew where this was going.

"How does that affect us?" asked Yukari.

"Originally, the faculty wanted Mizore to start practicing her social skills among the Newspaper Club," Miss Nekonome explained. "Peter, for example, has already proven that he's capable of communicating with and handling Mizore. Miss Akashiya has shown that she's forgiving and tolerant, and the staff believes the Newspaper Club would make a good role model for her. Sadly, I didn't learn all this until _after_ I had scheduled the trip so…"

"You want us to take Mizore with us," I finished.

Miss Nekonome hung her head low, sighing as she did so. "I'm very sorry about this—I honestly didn't think that this would happen right when I planned the trip. I could technically cancel, but we might lose the opportunity to do this ever again. If having Mizore spend time with you guys turns out to be a, uh, bad choice, we'll have to help her in some other way, but until then, please make her feel welcome.

I frowned, pondering the idea. I had nothing against spending time with Mizore and helping her learn to socialize during the average school day, but on a trip to the human world? What if something went wrong? She had a slightly worrying track record with using her powers, and in the human world, that could end badly.

 _Well, I could always play it off and say that she's a super human…_

"Hey, another pretty girl coming along for the ride is fine by me," Ginei said, grinning.

"…well, if she's already proven herself to the counselor," began Moka. "I suppose I don't mind; she needs to learn to interact with other students eventually, and we _are_ probably the most familiar group she can be with right now."

"Exactly!" Miss Nekonome exclaimed, pressing her hands together in front of her. "You guys are simply the perfect group for her! The club trip happening during Mizore's return was just a coincidence, but while unfortunate, it doesn't change the fact that she needs to learn these lessons eventually. Plus…"

The teacher chuckled and gave me a helpless look. "She's been asking about Peter for a while now."

I blinked, leaning back in my chair in surprise. "She—she has?"

Miss Nekonome cupped her cheeks in her hands. "Oh yes! It's adorable, really!"

Moka, Ginei, and Yukari were all giving me blank looks. "Dude," Ginei mumbled. "Teach me your ways."

Ignoring him, I looked back to Miss Nekonome. "I'm all for helping Mizore, but is it really a great idea to bring her into the human world? I have no doubt that she's doing far better now than when I met her, but this _is_ the human world we're talking about, after all."

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine," the cat-eared woman said with a smile and a wave of her hand. "Probably…"

 _Oh yeah, because that was reassuring._

Before I could speak up again, Miss Nekonome continued. "With that out of the way, I—oh dear, is Miss Kurono asleep?"

Yukari glanced at the snoozing succubus. "Uh, yeah, she passed out a few minutes before you got here."

"Oh meow, she missed everything I said!" Miss Nekonome said with a pout. "Why didn't anybody tell me she was sleeping?"

"She's been working herself into the ground during our study sessions," I threw in, hoping to keep Kurumu out of trouble. "I've been helping her get ready for the exams to get her grades up, and after studying so hard for so long, she's exhausted. I can tell her everything you told us after she wakes up."

Miss Nekonome frowned but nodded after a second of hesitation. "Alright, just make sure she's not falling asleep during class." She paused for another moment, putting her finger to her chin. "Now, what was I going to say a minute ago? Uh, oh yes! The trip is the day after tomorrow, so make sure to work hard on all your tests and assignments until then so that you don't have to redo them or take any makeup classes during the break! That should be just about everything. Work hard everybody!"

And then, just like that, she was on her way out. I stared at the door after she left, silently wondering just how this would all be handled. Being told that we were the ones the staff wanted Mizore to spend her time around was news in and of itself, but _now_ of all times? Right when we were about to take a trip to the…to the _human_ world?

 _If we're going to be leaving Yōkai Academy, I'm going to need to pack._

* * *

 _Two days later – Boys' Dorm_

I hadn't brought much with me to Yōkai Academy. There simply weren't that many things that I really needed, so my backpack had remained pretty spacious compared to what I would have expected of something like a trip to Japan to enroll in a private school.

"Come on, I know it's here…"

There were, however, a few things that I refused to leave at home. A few essential items that I simply couldn't leave behind.

"Ugh, where's that zipper?"

Well, technically, there was only one pair of 'essential' items that I brought. The others were either personal belongings that I wanted to take with me or they were things too…sensitive to be left behind. It would have been awkward if Aunt May were to find some of this stuff, since most kids my age…

"Ah, there it is," I whispered, pulling the hidden zipper down before turning away, reaching for a pair of devices that had been sitting at my side.

Since most kids my age wouldn't be able to explain a pair of web shooters lying under their bed.

I picked them both up, gently tossing them as I felt the familiar weight. It had been _ages_ since I last used them—why resort to limited webbing when I had a natural, almost infinite supply of it?—but I had still brought them along to Yōkai Academy. Back in New York, I had kept them in pristine condition in case of an emergency, regardless of what it might be, and the two web shooters were in perfect working order. Building these things had _not_ beeneasy, and there were still occasional times when they came in handy, even if I had the symbiote.

So when I found out I'd been accepted into Yōkai, I had made sure to pack them just in case. Needless to say, getting these things through the airport had been…problematic, at first, but I had found a way.

And I had needed a backpack large enough for me to create hidden compartments in to hide all my secret belongings in. I didn't expect to be able to throw this stuff in the attic or to have instant access to a conveniently-placed loose floorboard or something, so I had taken precautions in case I'd need to hide this stuff with my other possessions, and I could say with confidence that the makeshift compartment I had made was fairly well-done. One small hidden compartment that housed a second, even better-hidden zipper that led to a larger storage space. A little complicated, yes, but necessary, and if anything, effective, seeing as the zippers were so well hidden that even _I_ had trouble finding them, and I was the one who designed the thing!

Of course, that meant that opening and closing the compartments was a bit of a chore, and since I had gotten into the habit of closing the outer one whenever it was open, I ended up zipping it shut a little while ago after retrieving my web shooters for a maintenance check. I had woken up earlier than usual to create time for testing and, if need be, repairing my web shooters. I didn't anticipate using them anytime soon, but if a situation arose in which I _did_ need them, I wanted to make sure there weren't any last second issues with them.

I moved to place them back in the inner secret compartment—which was now revealed and open—pausing only for a second when I saw a familiar set of pale white lens staring back at me from the little compartment.

 _Hello old friend…_

My original suit was too big a risk to leave at home. Aunt May would undoubtedly clean my room up a bit with me out of the way, and that meant everything that might help her connect me with Spider-Man had to go. The web shooters and the old suit were the two big things that needed to be hidden, and there was _no way_ I was going to get rid of them, symbiote suit or not, so I had gone for the next best thing: bringing them to Yōkai Academy with me.

And while that meant I'd have to work to keep the costume and web shooters hidden from anybody I met here, it would be easier because, if I caught anybody snooping around in my backpack, I could grab it and tell them to stop and nobody would bat an eye. After all, who wouldn't try and stop an intruder from looking through their backpack?

Shaking my head and putting the web shooters in the compartment alongside my old suit, I zipped it up before closing the second, outer hidden pocket, tucking the zipper away and essentially erasing any sign of there even being a storage area there.

I stood up, dragging the backpack up with me and slipping it over my shoulder. Leaving it here wasn't an option; if someone stole it, there could be serious problems. And if something went wrong in the human world and I needed my web shooters, I'd have no way to get them. And while the chance of me actually needing my old equipment was basically nonexistent, I still wanted it on hand—or at least in the same dimension.

 _Well, that was the last of it. Everything else is all packed. Might as well head down now and wait for the bus._

After a quick, final check around my room to make sure everything was neat and left in its place, I left my dorm, shutting and locking the door behind me. I strolled out of the Boys' Dorm at a leisurely pace, knowing that I still had some time before we needed to leave. I'd, of course, have to pick up Kurumu along the way, but that was of little concern. The succubus was, thankfully, considerate enough to check out her window when she was expecting me so that I wouldn't have to wait long.

When I reached the Girls' Dorm, the surrounding area was mostly vacant, as I had expected. There usually weren't that many people out in the morning when there was no school. What I _didn't_ expect, however, was to find a certain pink-haired vampire sitting on a bench in front of the Girls' Dorm, happily sipping away at a can of tomato juice as she hummed a tune to herself.

"Hey," I greeted as I approached, noting Moka's change in clothing. Gone was the formal school uniform, replaced by a casual sundress. The girl looked up at the sound of my voice, her lips immediately curling upwards in a smile when she saw me.

"Good morning!" she chirped.

"What're you doing out here?" I asked, sitting down next to her and placing my backpack on my lap as I leaned against the bench.

"I'm waiting for Kurumu. Since she can't go anywhere without you just yet, she figured she'd wait outside for you. I offered to come out and wait with her so she wouldn't get bored."

"Uh huh," I murmured, looking around. "Then…where exactly is Kurumu?"

Moka let out a sheepish chuckle. "I might have gotten ready just a _little_ too fast. Now I'm the one waiting for Kurumu…"

I laughed quietly, shaking my head in the process. "Nice. Well, anyway, are you excited for the club trip?"

Moka's eyes immediately widened and she glanced away, her lips pressed together in a tight line. A frown found its way onto my face the moment I saw Moka's reaction. "What's wrong?"

She sighed, bringing her hands together in front of her. "To be honest, I'm a little worried about going…"

"Why's that?"

"Those…humans," she answered. "Remember what I told you when we met? About how I really disliked humans? I guess I'm still concerned about how a trip to the human world would fare."

I mentally face-palmed. Of _course_ she'd be nervous! She must have hated that place.

Moka suddenly jerked up, turning to face me with a nervous smile. "I mean, don't take it the wrong way, I'm still happy to go with you guys! I'm sure it'll be great!"

I watched her as she continued giving me her nervous grin. "Don't feel pressured to go because of us," I said. "If you're not comfortable with it, tell Miss Nekonome, and she might let you stay behind. But then some creep might decide that you're available if you're all alone…and without anybody to take off your rosary in case of emergency…I mean, I guess I could stay behind with…you…"

I trailed off, blinking as I did so. What was I doing? This was a chance to visit the human world— _my world_ —and an opportunity to see how the school buses here worked and how they allowed one to move between the human world and this one. I had long since figured out that when I left Yōkai Academy at the end of the year, it'd be on one of those buses.

So why was I so readily throwing away the chance? The symbiote disapproved, and a part of me disapproved as well. But…at the same time, I found myself unable to trade Moka's comfort and safety for the opportunity to see the human world. I just…I couldn't bring myself to make the exchange. And while the outer Moka still had inhuman strength, she wouldn't be capable of fighting off someone who knew what they were doing. Someone had to be around to take that rosary off, and so far, I was the only one who could do it.

"You'd stay here with me?" Moka asked, looking at me in mild surprise.

Would I? The symbiote was egging me to take that back—to tell her that everything would be alright, that we should all go to the human world, if only to convince her to swallow her fear and come with us. But a larger part of me refused to put my own satisfaction before another's safety, especially a friend's safety.

"Well…I'll admit that I was excited to go," I mumbled. "But if it's that difficult for you, I wouldn't force you to go. And I can't exactly leave you alone here, not after I've seen all the perverts and maniacs running around and gunning for you."

 _I'm sorry, symbiote. I know you want to see the human world—I do too—but we can't just leave Moka here. If she stays, someone has to stay with her to keep the perverts off her back. Plus, we wouldn't be able to openly fight in the human world anyway, not with Miss Nekonome around. She and the girls are still under the impression that I'm just another monster hiding my identity from the humans, remember?_

Even if it was annoyed at the notion of us turning down the trip to the human world, the symbiote could definitely see the logic. The trip would have been just that; a _trip_. I wouldn't have been able to get back to New York even if I tried.

"You know," Moka began quietly. "I think it might do me a little good to face my fears. I mean, you and the others will be there the whole time, and if I get…scared, to the point that I need help, I can always come to you, right?"

 _Oh, well, okay then. Looks like the trip's still on._

I nodded. "Of course. If something's wrong, don't hesitate to come talk to me."

Moka smiled. "Thanks, Peter."

The look on her face brought a pang of guilt to me. Here I was, a super-powered human telling a vampire that she could come talk to me if her fear of, well, _humans_ got the better of her during our trip.

How would I tell her? How _could_ I tell her? When and where would I tell her? I didn't know. _Should_ I even tell Moka and the others that I'm human?

 _Regardless, I can't do it now. There are still things that need to be done. Moka's other half needs to be comfortable enough and familiar enough with me so that she won't immediately hate me when and IF she finds out I had been lying since the start._

Even if the outer Moka and I had grown incredibly close, if her inner half ended up despising me for lying and for being a human, it might drive a wedge between the two of them. If they had varying opinions of me, one side could end up either spending their time around me when they didn't want to, or staying _away_ from me while they didn't want to. Neither situation was one I wanted to witness, so if anything, I had to make sure that my relationships with those that found out I was human were stable, trusting, and not liable to shatter.

 _Well, on the bright side, we still get to visit the hu—_

"NO!" shouted a female voice. "I don't wanna go to the stupid human world!"

I jerked at the sudden outburst of noise, turning to find an annoyed Kurumu pulling an agitated Yukari as the two approached us. "Will you keep it down?" the succubus asked with a frown as she kept pulling Yukari along. "People will hear you!"

 _I just jinxed it, didn't I?_

"Um, good morning?" Moka called, waving to the two girls. They both turned to us, Kurumu's eyes immediately shifting to me as a smile grew on her lips.

"Oh, hey Peter!" she said cheerfully. "I didn't expect you here this early."

"I got ready faster than I thought," I said almost subconsciously as I eyed Yukari, the girl struggling to escape Kurumu's grip. "What's going on?"

Kurumu rolled her eyes. "I ran into Yukari on the way here, and she started whining about how she doesn't want to go to the human world."

Oh come on!

"Why's that?" I asked, frowning slightly. "What's the problem, Yukari?"

Before the witch could respond, Kurumu snorted, crossing her arms in disapproval. "Well, she _is_ just a baby, after all. Knowing her, she's probably just scared."

Yukari twitched, visibly gritting her teeth. "Figures that someone with a single brain cell wouldn't be able to understand," she hissed under her breath. I blinked, uneasily glancing between the two girls. What was _that_ about? Their arguments usually weren't this insulting, and I had never seen Yukari like this.

Kurumu growled, opening her mouth to say something, but I interrupted her. "Kurumu," I began, loudly enough to gain the girls' attention. "Why don't we let Yukari tell us what's wrong first?" I turned to the girl in question. "Go ahead."

She fidgeted in place, frowning as she did so, before letting out a sigh. "Look, just—humans and witches don't go together, alright? We don't exactly get along, and the idea of going to _their_ world just doesn't sit well with me."

I frowned. Great. Another monster who was nervous around humans. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Alright, so, what are we going to do about this?"

Yukari gave me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

I looked down at the girl. "If you won't wanna go, we're not going to force you to. But we need to find Miss Nekonome and tell her if you're staying behind."

Yukari wasn't really one to get targeted by perverts. Would she need someone to stay behind with her?

"We're leaving soon, so you need to be quick in deciding," I finished.

Lacking a watch, I didn't know how long we had until we were to leave, but I knew that it would be better to show up at the bus stop early. I glanced back at the girls, jerking my head in the direction of the bus stop. "We should get going. Miss Nekonome will probably show up early along with Mizore. Yukari, just, take a minute to think about it while we walk. If you decide not to go, you can tell Miss Nekonome at the bus stop."

The witch scratched the back of her head. "Well…okay, I'll think about it."

 _Moka seems to have a good handle on her fear, but Yukari…I don't know, she doesn't seem to be in the same boat. And with Mizore coming along…I'm starting to think that this trip might be a little trouble._

That still couldn't drown out my excitement, though, especially considering that the symbiote's enthusiasm added to my own. Even as we started walking to the bus stop, my mind was abuzz with thoughts. How would I handle Mizore? Someone obviously needed to keep a close eye on her, but Moka and Yukari both needed attention two. The two had had a similar fear, and I wasn't sure how it would affect them in the human world. The snow woman was a wild card—I had no clue how she would react to being in the world of humans.

I was still pondering these things by the time we reached the bus stop. To my surprise, Miss Nekonome was already there, and a shorter figure was sitting on the bench beside her.

Mizore Shirayuki.

The purple-haired girl glanced up when the girls' chattering became more audible. Her eyes widened slightly when they met mine and remained glued on me. I gave her a small smile and a wave, prompting her to return the gesture. Miss Nekonome was already grinning as she looked between the snow woman and me, gently nudging Mizore and gesturing towards me.

Mizore stood up, still smiling softly as she stepped forward to meet me. "Hello," she said quietly.

"Hey," I said with a grin. "Long time no see. How are you?"

"Good…How have things been going with you?"

"Oh, same old, same old," I answered, shrugging. "Beat up a crazy teacher, saved a handful of students, aced a few exams."

The snow woman giggled. "I read about that in the Yōkai Gazette. You seem to have a habit of getting involved in these things."

"Trust me, I know," I chuckled. "Makes for a great story though. And lives were saved. A win-win, in my opinion."

The others had stopped walking by now, all of us gathering in front of Miss Nekonome as the woman began speaking. "Alright, it looks like everyone is here. Now, the bus will be here in a few minutes, and then we'll be off."

Wait, _everyone_ was here? Then where was…?

"Uh, ma'am," I began. "Where's Ginei?"

The teacher sighed. "Well, ah, you see, Ginei's scores didn't exactly meet the minimum requirements, so he won't be joining us. He needs to do make-up classes over the break."

"Oh," I mumbled. "That sucks." I made a mental note to bring Ginei something from the human world as a souvenir of sorts—maybe photos? Or maybe I could take a video with my camera? Hold on, I had that right? Right, yeah, I remembered packing it.

"You know, speaking of crappy grades," Yukari began, pointedly looking at Kurumu. "How exactly did _you_ make it?"

Kurumu crossed her arms, her chest puffing out in pride as she gave Yukari a victorious grin. "I'll have you know I passed the exams!"

 _Barely_.

"And it's because Peter spent hours helping me study!" Kurumu finished with a nod in my direction. I offered her a small smile.

"It must be a miracle," Yukari mumbled dryly. "You passed the exams, and Peter somehow managed to deal with you for hours; I'm not sure which is harder to believe."

Kurumu shot Yukari a dirty look.

 _Well, at least that wasn't as heated as the last argument._

Hopefully, the increased negativity between the two girls had been a one-time thing. Moka had already admitted to being nervous about being in the human world, and Yukari was in a similar situation. I wanted to keep an eye on both of them, just in case that fear was more deep-seeded than they let on. And then there was Mizore—there was no way I could let her out of my sight. She was doing better than when I first met her, I was sure of that, but risks could not be taken with her true form and powers in the human world. If something set her off, I needed to be there to keep her calm. That was now _three_ girls who I was keeping an eye on.

I was nervous, I realized, just as a yellow bus came into view, rumbling down the road to us. There were a lot of ways this trip could turn into a nightmare.

Relax, the symbiote seemed to say.

I paused, taking a deep breath. It was right; the worry would not help in the slightest. I had juggled multiple tasks in the past, and often times, they were far more extreme than this. If worst came to worst and the girls were spotted, we could play it off as being super humans. That would bring a lot of unwanted attention, but it was better than revealing the monster races.

The approaching school bus was now closer to us, and I moved over to Yukari. "Hey," I said quietly, drawing her attention. "We're leaving soon and you don't have much longer to decide. Do you want to come?"

A look of worry passed over Yukari's face, but a second later, she shot a look at Kurumu, and her face morphed into one of determination. "I'm coming along."

I frowned. "If you're doing this solely to prove Kurumu wrong, don't. If you're not comfortable in the human world, you shouldn't force yourself to come along. And if Kurumu starts teasing you about wanting to stay behind, I can have a little talk with her. If anything happens here, you can go to Ginei…or, I guess one of us could stay behind with you…"

Yukari hesitated before shaking her head and clenching her fists, her eyes burning with newfound courage and will. "I'm coming along," she said firmly.

"You're positive?" I asked. "Don't take this the wrong way, I have nothing against you coming along, I just want to make sure you're not harming yourself by trying to do so."

The witch took a deep breath. "I'm fine," she declared. "Let's do this."

I nodded, getting up and taking a step back. "Alright, if you're sure. If anything, talk to Moka or me while we're out there."

Even if the vampire was nervous in the human world as well, I knew that Yukari had taking a liking to her. If Yukari went to Moka about her fears, there was a good chance Moka would point her to me if she felt as though she couldn't reassure the witch by herself. I myself was pretty sure I could ease Yukari's fears if need be.

The school bus had rumbled to a stop in front of us now, its door swinging open as the tires stopped rolling. Miss Nekonome eagerly ushered us into the vehicle, Moka stepping in first, followed by Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, and then me. The moment I stepped inside, however, I was greeted with the sight of an eerily familiar bus driver smirking at me from his seat as he pulled a large, burning cigar out of his mouth.

"Hey kid," he greeted, the smirk never leaving his face. "Been a while, huh?"

 _Oh boy, here we go again._

"So it has," I said unenthusiastically. "Don't worry, though, I haven't forgotten you."

 _No matter how hard I tried._

The bus driver chuckled quietly, jerking his head towards the seats behind me in a gesture for me to sit down. I followed the silent order, Miss Nekonome trailing into the bus behind me as the doors shut. Yukari had already situated herself next to Moka, leaving Kurumu and Mizore to choose seats opposite each other. The succubus patted the empty spot next to her with a grin, but before I could take it, I felt a cold hand tugging me down.

"Sit with me," said Mizore, smiling as she pulled me down to her seat. I shot Kurumu an apologetic look and a shrug as I sat down. She answered with a slightly frustrated look towards Mizore, but waved it off.

The bus driver let out a puff of smoke before sticking the cigar back in his mouth. "Now then, kids, remember, these tunnels are no ordinary passageways. Once we're through it, it'll mean farewell to the supernatural world for awhile."

I noticed a slightly tense look pass of the faces of the rest of the Newspaper Club. Through our link, I could feel the symbiote's anticipation and excitement. For a short time, we would be exiting Yōkai Academy, which was similar to our original goal, back when this all started. I myself was still fully aware of the nervousness in the back of my mind, the slight unease that was born from the idea of going to the human world with people that were either visibly uncomfortable with it and with a girl who I knew had a troubling past.

Up in front, the bus driver inhaled deeply, letting out a second cloud of smoke from his mouth. "Alright, here we go…"

"I'm pretty sure there's a rule against smoking on a school bus," I mumbled, loud enough for him to hear.

The man chuckled, completely ignoring my statement as he pressed his foot to the gas pedal and began turning the bus around. The tunnel, already in view, suddenly began growing larger as we approached, the strange, unnatural darkness creeping over us as we drove in. I was infinitely more observant of my surroundings this time around, knowing that I could be driving _between dimensions_ right now. Golden rays of light soon appeared in front of us, the literal light at the end of the tunnel, growing in size while shrinking in distance.

Next to me, I heard Mizore gulp quietly, her face impassive, but her lips pressed into a thin line. I silently hoped that she wasn't afraid of the human world too, because that would only create _more_ reasons for me to worry.

The world suddenly burst into day as the light enveloped us, our vehicle passing through the opening that led to a new world.

Slowly, the blinding effect faded, and my eyes adjusted to the new brightness. I immediately looked out the window, taking in every detail of our new environment. There was a gas station just off the side of the road, cars parked in and around it. A few children strolled across the sidewalk, popsicles in their hands as they laughed and played. A golden sun burned somewhere above us, and a clear blue sky hung over the land. And throughout all of this, there was a single thought running through my head:

 _The human world…_

* * *

 _Later that day – Unknown distance from Yōkai Academy_

"I keep telling you, that was a 'no trespassing' sign," I argued as I stepped off the bus. "I'm positive that's what I saw!"

"Peter," Kurumu said with a roll of her eyes as she stepped off the bus, following closely behind Mizore. "Relax, I'm sure Miss Nekonome and the bus driver know exactly what they're doing."

"They could at least fill us in on what's going on," I mumbled, looking around. We had parked between two clusters of trees, the road that took us here long since ending, replaced by dirt and gravel.

"Hehe, why don't you kids take a peek around the bus?" the driver suggested.

I frowned, wondering what he could be talking about, and maneuvered around the vehicle until I could see past it. What I saw, however, took my breath away.

"Whoa…"

"What is it, Peter"? Moka asked as she climbed out of the bus and ran around to stand next to me. Her eyes widened, just as mine had, when she saw the sight before us. "Oh wow…"

We were looking out over a massive sunflower field, stretching out for great distances in every direction.

"This is beautiful," Kurumu breathed when she and the others walked up to us. "Look at this place!"

Mizore looked out over the garden of flowers, smiling at what she saw. "I forget that the human world has such pretty places."

I couldn't see the end of it. This field was _huge_! The flowers seemed to stretch on forever.

 _This is nice. And it's having a calming effect on the girls so far._

Yukari and Moka were visibly awed by the sunflowers, large smiles on their faces.

"This is a completely different spot from where we had planned," I heard Miss Nekonome whisper somewhere behind us. I frowned, glancing over my shoulder to find her talking with the bus driver.

He just smirked. "I thought we should stop by here. It's a well-known spot among the locals."

The girls had heard him speaking, and had all turned around to face the man. I, meanwhile, was frowning. A mid-trip change of plans?

"Ah, the flowers, right?" Moka chirped happily. "People must come here for the flowers!"

"Wrong," the bus driver replied, removing the cigar from his mouth again as a grin spread across his face. "This place is known for being a mysterious area, where one person after the next has been spirited away."

'Spirited away'? What did that even—

"Hold on," I gasped as the realization hit me. "People have gone _missing_ here?"

"Poetic, isn't it?" the bus driver asked, still grinning as he held up a newspaper. "I'd read up on this for the details, if I were you."

I stared at him for several seconds, jaw hanging open. " _Why_?!" I cried. "Why on Earth would you bring us to a place where people go missing?!"

"Reasons," he answered while putting the newspaper in Moka's hands. "You'd best try not to get taken too…"

 _What is WRONG with this guy?!_

"Well, we'd best be off," he continued. "Miss Nekonome, how about I treat you to some fish? That sound good?"

The woman instantly perked up, a smile breaking out over her face as a long cat tail poked out from her backside. "Fish?" she asked hopefully.

 _What is going on here?! They're just dumping us here and taking off?!_

The symbiote was just as confused as I was. Was this an attempt to get us killed? Leave us out here to get taken? Did someone put them up to—no, that didn't make sense! Miss Nekonome would never do something like this. Hypnotism? Doppelgangers? Either could explain the behavior if this was in fact an attempt at killing us.

"Come on then, Miss Nekonome," the man said, tipping his hat to me. "We've got fish to fry. Or do you prefer them raw?"

The cat-eared teacher was literally drooling now, walking over to the bus in a daze. "Raw," she giggled. "So tasty…"

"Where are you going?!" I shouted. "You can't just _leave_ us here!"

The bus driver, ushering Miss Nekonome into his vehicle grinned at me. "You'll figure it out, don't worry…"

'Figure it out'?! I was seriously starting to consider that this was possibly someone's attempt at getting rid of us. Nothing about this made sense.

The bus is leaving.

The symbiote jerked me out of my surprised and confused daze, reminding me that our ticket out of here—and the one who knew what was going on—was rolling away.

 _Oh no you don't, you're not leaving us here, and you are most certainly NOT putting the girls' lives at risk. Not on my watch._

Momentarily forgetting that I was supposed to be keeping my powers under wraps, I dashed forward, easily overtaking the bus and jumping in front of it before it could get too far away.

"Stop!" I commanded, glaring at the bus driver.

The man gave me an impassive look, but the vehicle slowed to a halt in front of me. He looked out the window, his expression neutral. "Kid, I'd strongly advise against doing that again."

"Well, considering you're ditching us out in the middle of nowhere, what choice did I have?" I retorted. "What's going on here, why are you doing this?"

"I told ya, kid," said the man. "Reasons. Isn't this your thing anyway?"

"My thing?" I parroted in confusion. "No, getting left in mysterious, potentially haunted areas is not 'my thing'."

"No, but stopping bad guys is," said the man. "Something's clearly going on here—lots of people going missing and such. You got on the 'Missing Girls Case' like a fly on flypaper. I figured you'd be all over this."

I paused, blinking repeatedly at the driver. Readjusting his hat and puffing out another cloud of smoke, he leaned back into the bus, slowly driving forward and around me. He stopped when his open window was next to my head.

"Use your head, kid," he chuckled. "This should be a cinch for you. I know what you've been up to at the Academy. This isn't all that different."

I watched him, utterly dumbfounded as he drove his bus away. The symbiote, equally surprised at the driver's words, managed to recover first, quickly stating its assessment.

Not a normal trip.

 _Not normal at all…Is this some sort of assignment? A test?_

"Wait!" I shouted, sprinting forward and latching onto the bus, looking in through the open driver's window. "So what, you want us to figure out what's going on?"

The bus driver sighed. "Here's a question: what do _you_ think you're here for?"

I didn't answer.

"Here's a tip for ya," he added. "Read that newspaper. You'll know exactly what you're going to be doing after you see what's written there. Now, if you would be so kind as to get off my bus…"

I gave him a blank stare for several more seconds before letting go. My feet hit the dirt as the bus chugged away, leaving me standing and lost in thought.

These kidnappings or whatever; were we brought here to stop them? Was that truly the reason? Why would a monster school send a couple of kids to the human world to deal with a mysterious place where people kept getting 'spirited away'?

 _Unless…these disappearances are supernatural in nature, and Yōkai Academy wants this dealt with by a group of its students, and not by local humans._

But then why bring Mizore along? Was her return to us simply poorly timed? Or do the teachers think she has something to gain from all this?

There were so many possibilities, so many different explanations. The idea of this being an indirect assassination attempt of sorts was still in the back of my mind, and it would stay there—one couldn't be too careful with this.

But that driver was right; knowing that people kept going missing here, I _did_ want to find out what was going on, and, if need be, put a stop to it. If people kept disappearing here, I wanted to know why, especially if these were innocent people. But at the same time, I didn't want to endanger the girls' lives.

 _But they're not defenseless girls. Each of them has powers, and each of them is willing to use those powers. Maybe the school staff is trying to teach us something?_

If that was the case, I had no clue what it was, but I did know that, if we got to the bottom of this, there was a good chance that the staff would come back for us. And without that bus, I wasn't sure if we could get back to the Academy. And it wasn't like we had brought money and provisions to live out here on our own for long, so it looked like figuring out what was going on here was among the top priorities.

But what was I supposed to do with the girls?

What is normally done, the symbiote seemed to suggest.

Right, the girls usually involved themselves in issues like this when I did, and they had been immensely helpful in the past. Perhaps letting them stay was for the best? Even Yukari, the youngest and most likely least experienced of the group, still had magic powers that could help us.

 _Fine then, let's find out what's going on at this place._

The alien's excitement for a new chance to simulate our life as Spider-Man was not lost on me as I began my walk back to the girls while lost in thought.

What did I know about kidnappings? What experience had I had with them in the past? The latest one had been Ishi—

I gasped quietly. Could this be Ishigami's doing? Had she fled to the human world to continue her twisted 'art'? Were the kidnapped victims even girls?

The newspaper. Right, the bus driver had given us a clue to this whole mess in the form of a newspaper.

The others had come forward to meet me, tearing me from my thought as they began speaking. "Well?" asked Moka. "Did they tell you what this is all about?"

"I think…I think this is some sort of test or assignment," I said with a frown. "I think they want us to figure out what's the deal with this place and why people are going missing."

Kurumu glanced at Mizore. "But then, why bring…? I thought Mizore was here to learn how to interact with other students from us—what good does bringing her here do?"

"I don't know," I muttered, shaking my head, before turning to the snow woman in question. "Regardless, it looks like you're stuck with us for this. I'm sorry, I had no idea we'd be getting into something potentially dangerous."

She gave a slight shrug. "I don't mind all that much."

At least she wasn't angry about it. But that still left the question of why the staff had allowed her to come if this was all planned.

 _Or, what if it wasn't planned? Miss Nekonome was confused about it…the bus driver knew though, did—_

Going nowhere.

I sighed. The symbiote was right. Trying to understand the motives behind the staff bringing us here wouldn't get us out. Figuring out _what_ was going on would be a good start, though.

"I don't like this," Yukari mumbled. "I want to go home…"

Kurumu groaned. "Good grief will you _stop complaining_ already? Or else I'll give you something to really cry about." The look of fear vanished from Yukari's face, replaced by anger as she glared at the succubus.

I blinked. _That_ was aggressive. Something was wrong with them, I was sure of it. They were far more temperamental with each other than usual.

Movement! In the flowers!

I whirled around, prepared for just about anything the moment the symbiote warned me. My eyes shot to the spot the symbiote had been looking at, just in time to catch a dark shadow slipping away.

"Peter?" Moka asked. "What's wron—"

Moka froze, falling silent as a low growl echoed through our ears. It sounded unnatural, which immediately put me on edge, and the predatory sound of the noise did even more to unnerve me.

 _A predator in the flowers…_

"Get away from the sunflowers!" I ordered, backpedaling away from the golden plants. "There's something crawling around in there!" The girls obeyed, most likely out of fear and shock, and followed my lead as we increased the distance between us and the field of flowers.

"Over there!" Kurumu shouted, pointing to the side. "A cabin! We can hide in there!"

"And what if somebody's inside?" I asked, eyes frantically scanning the area.

"Yeah, well, we know for a fact that some _thing_ is hiding out here!" she retorted, beginning to run to the small wooden building. "We'll be safer in there!"

Would we? The thought flew through my head, but it didn't stop me from following the others as we sprinted for the cabin. I stayed behind the girls, making sure to keep an eye out for anything that could attack us while the symbiote looked behind me in search of a pursuer. Luckily, we had none. The door was slightly ajar when we reached the cabin, and Moka ran straight in, followed by Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, and finally, me.

I slammed the door shut when I got inside, the sounds of panting reaching my ears as I did so. I waited, hands still on the door in case something from the outside decided to slam into it. When nothing happened for several seconds, I stepped back.

"So," said Mizore. "Any idea what just happened?"

"No clue," Kurumu said between heavy breaths. "Should we have fought that thing?"

"We don't know what it is yet," I said, keeping my eyes on the door. "Fighting it right away might have been dangerous."

"Could it have been the thing causing the disappearances?" asked Moka.

"Could be," I mumbled, licking my lips. "Just—let's check that paper the bus driver gave. We need information."

"Right," said Moka, as she opened the paper while the rest of us crowded around her. My eyes immediately widened when I began reading the print.

"Eighteen people?" I whispered. "Sightseers vanishing without a trace…?"

I could feel the tension build up within me. _Eighteen people_ had gone missing here. _Eighteen_. That was over twice the amount of girls kidnapped by Ishigami.

"Witch hill?" Mizore asked quietly. "This place is called 'Witch Hill'?"

This time, it was Yukari's eyes that widened. "A witch?" she whispered as her eyes scanned over the words on the page. "People say a witch lives here?"

"If a witch is doing all this," I began. "Then it'd make sense that Yōkai Academy doesn't want the local humans solving this. The discovery might lead humans to find more monsters, if they manage to get the witch to give up her secrets. The results could be disastrous."

"A witch, huh?" Kurumu said with a raised eyebrow as she glanced at Yukari. "Don't your kind have a rep for kidnapping humans?"

I blinked, shooting a confused look at Kurumu.

Yukari, meanwhile, twitched, glaring at Kurumu. "Only a moron believes everything they read, Kurumu," she retorted, crossing her arms and turning away. "And last I checked, don't succubi have a reputation for kidnapping _and_ hypnotizing people?"

 _Okay, this is getting—_

Kurumu snorted. "At least we return them. And we do it to find our Destined Ones—witches do it for revenge, don't they? You guys hate humans."

The witch girl guffawed. "You know, you don't hear stories about witches kidnapping and _raping_ people. But when it comes to succubi…"

"Oh that's a load of crap!" Kurumu shouted, the composure she held seconds ago completely forgotten. "Only some of those insane succubi do that! The rest of us are normal!"

"I could say the same thing about witches," Yukari replied.

Why were they so _angry_ with each other?

"Guys, um, maybe you should calm down?" Moka suggested meekly. "Now's not the time to be arguing."

"She's right," I slowly added, though the confusion from watching Kurumu and Yukari's exchanges was still there. "We've got to figure out what we're going to do."

"You said you thought this was a test or an assignment of some kind," Mizore said quietly. I noticed that she had been watching Kurumu and Yukari's fight with a frown. "If that's the case, then shouldn't we figure out who's behind this?"

Yukari gave the snow woman a wide-eyed look. "What, you want to stayhere? No way!" she cried. "It's dangerous! What if something really does happen? What if…" she shivered. "What if one of those crazy humans is hiding out here?"

I stiffened at her words.

"It could be one of those super-powered psychos that you hear about in the news," continued the small girl as she pulled a set of cards out of her pockets. "This _is_ the human world, after all! We should just leave this place. Even my tarot cards are telling me that this vacation is ill-fated! Come on guys, let's just go back!"

Something inside Kurumu must have snapped. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her growl quietly to herself, her fist clenching. "Yukari," she began, speaking in a low, threatening tone. "You have been complaining about this trip since before we even got here. How long do you plan on hiding under your bed, huh? How long are you going to whine and cry about how scared you are of the human world?" She shook her head in disdain, looking down at the shorter girl. "You really are just a baby, aren't you? If you're so scared, then why don't you run on home and get out of everybody else's way?"

I watched Yukari's hand tighten around her wand, her knuckles turning white. "Why you…" she hissed.

She burst forward, leaning towards Kurumu and causing the succubus to recoil in both anger and surprise. "Don't be so stupid! I'm not afraid of anything!" She shoved past Kurumu, bolting for the door. I inhaled sharply as I realized she was running away in agitation, and my hand shot forward, a ball of webbing firing from my wrist and slamming into the door, splattering against it and effectively gluing it shut.

"Where are you going?" I asked hurriedly. "You can't go out there now!"

"Better than being stuck here with _her_ ," Yukari spat, glaring at Kurumu.

Kurumu, meanwhile, crossed her arms and let out a short bark of condescending laughter. "Sure, I bet you're just too _scared_ to be here. Go on Peter, let her run away like a little baby."

"Oh that is IT!" roared Yukari, whirling on Kurumu and waving her wand. I had no clue what she planned on doing, but I didn't care at that point. My instincts kicked in, and I moved forward, placing myself between the two girls.

"Enough!" I snapped, raising an arm to each girl, read to fire my webs just in case I had to restrain them. "Yukari, put that thing away! And you," I added, leveling my gaze at Kurumu. "Stop egging her on! What's gotten into the two of you?!"

Silence reigned supreme for a few moments before Yukari turned away with soft 'tsk'. Kurumu looked away, her eyebrows furrowed. "You two," I began. "Come here!"

"I'm not going anywhere near her," Yukari growled, refusing to face me. "Whatever you want, you can do it without—"

" _Now_."

My tone of voice must have done a good job of indicating my unwillingness to tolerate this anymore, because Yukari actually jerked in surprise. One look at me, and the girl reluctantly began approaching us. I glanced at Moka and Mizore, and while the latter looked calm and collected, the former looked confused and hurt, likely from watching her friends fight.

 _She's watching the people she cares about get into their first real argument._

I sighed quietly as I ushered Kurumu and Yukari towards a corner. Their argument wasn't just hurting them now; it was effecting Moka, and given where we were, these two fighting each other could get them killed while the real threat—whatever it may have been—lurked somewhere in this field.

I pushed the thoughts from my head and crossed my arms, stopping just in front of Kurumu and Yukari, standing between them and the rest of the empty cabin. First things first:

"What was that all about?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the girls. "You two were at each other's throats back there. You used to just banter and bicker, but that? That back there was way too much. There was real aggression there and I want to know why."

The two glanced at each other before abruptly—and angrily—looking away.

"This isn't what explaining looks like," I said after a few seconds of silence. When they still didn't respond, I let out an exasperated breath as I ran a hand through my hair, before looking to Kurumu. "Fine then. Kurumu, let's start with you. Tell me what's going on."

If neither of them wanted to answer the question as a whole, then I'd just direct the questions at one of them, one at a time.

The succubus hesitated for several moments. "We had an argument," she said after a pause. I raised an eyebrow. " _Before_ that one," she clarified. "Yukari and I had a fight the other day." Okay, now we were getting somewhere.

"And?" I inquired.

She sighed. "It got a little heated…"

"Please tell me you didn't get into a physical fight," I said.

Kurumu quickly shook her head. "No…no, there was no actual fighting involved. It was—I mean, it'll seem stupid to you, but, uh…"

Next to her, Yukari was snorting in disapproval. "You were so adamant and firm about it yesterday. Now you're all embarrassed to tell Peter because you _know_ how stupid you must sound." The witch crossed her arms. "She told me I had breasts like a little boy."

What.

"Because you told me I had the mind of a four-year-old!" Kurumu cried with a red face. "You kept claiming that you were sooo much smarter than me, and you wouldn't shut up!"

"Maybe if you didn't always make a point of waving your 'oh so superior breasts' in my face, I wouldn't point out just what an idiot you are!" Yukari shouted.

"Yeah?! Well _you're_ the one who told _me_ I looked like a cow!" Kurumu yelled back. "If you're gonna insult my body then I'm going to point out just how much better developed it is than yours!"

"Hold on, hold on!" I declared, waving my hands to quiet the girls down. "Let me get this straight: you," I accentuated the address by pointing at Kurumu. "Have been insulting Yukari about her body." I stopped and turned to Yukari. "And you have been insulting Kurumu about her, what, poor grades?"

" _And_ my body," Kurumu mumbled. "Comparing a succubus to a cow; who does that? I'm not some _animal_."

"And I'm not a little boy," said Yukari, eyeing Kurumu as she did so.

I shook my head, sighing. If this tension between them had started earlier on, I could have detected it— _especially_ if they were this obvious about it. But their initial argument had happened yesterday; there had been no time for me truly see the effects and settle this with them.

"And so you two were already fed up with each other," I mumbled as I glanced at Kurumu. "Yukari's discomfort annoyed you because you thought she was just being a child." The succubus nodded and I turned to the shorter of the two girls. "And because of yesterday's argument—and because of how Kurumu treated you today—you were bound to react aggressively to her attitude." This time, Yukari was the one to nod.

I let out a breath, a single thought running through the head of both the symbiote and myself.

 _This is stupid._

The two had hit each other where it hurt. Of all the things they could have said, of all the things they could have insulted each other about, they had gone for mind and body. Of course, just when our ability to get along mattered the most—just when we had to help show Mizore how to interact with peers, and just when we find ourselves in a new kind of danger—Kurumu and Yukari's ability to get along gets tested.

 _So stupid._

I _knew_ Kurumu was frustrated with her inability to master the concepts we were taught in class like the other students. I could see it whenever a student was called upon to stand up and explain a difficult concept. The succubus would, more often than not, look down at her own work in utter bewilderment, wondering just what was going on while everyone else seemed to follow along.

It was even worse when Moka or I were the ones who explained the concept to the class, or just overall demonstrated the ability to outperform Kurumu. It was subtle, but I knew she was annoyed with the fact that everyone she hung out with was capable of breezing through the assignments that gave her so much trouble.

That frustration and humiliation would only reach its peak when Kurumu herself was called upon to show how to solve a math problem or to answer a question. It only happened a few times in a few classes, but she'd almost always get it wrong, and the class would almost always laugh because she'd be so off in her answer. She could hide it well, but I could still notice the look of hurt in her eyes.

And I helped her a lot with her work, and a great deal of good had come out of that. I could remember her being a little embarrassed about her grades or her nonexistent understanding of many subjects that I considered simple. It was a side of her that I didn't see often. But time had gone on, and she eventually realized that I didn't think any less of her for her grades, and she began to openly show me just how hard it was for her. Progress, however, was still slow, and Kurumu had to _really_ buckle down and give it her all to learn the material necessary to pass the exams, and even then, she had just _barely_ managed to make it.

So to have an eleven-year-old girl outsmart her with ease and rub it in her face as an insult…I could understand why Kurumu had gone off on Yukari during their first argument, jabbing at her with the one thing she was confident she utterly eclipsed Yukari in.

Her beauty.

While Kurumu wasn't very bright— _yet_ —she was still a succubus, and still a very attractive girl. I had seen Yukari cast the occasional envious look at an older girl, but while she admired Moka and complimented her appearance, Kurumu didn't receive that special treatment. And to have Kurumu lord her appearance over Yukari's, it could stand to reason that the witch would react aggressively, especially if she felt as though Kurumu was treating her like an under-developed child.

"Peter?" Kurumu hesitantly asked. "You okay there? You've gone pretty quiet…"

"I'm fine, just…just assessing the situation," I replied before standing up a bit straighter and giving the two girls a serious look. "Alright, I think I can see why you two are so angry with each other. However, that needs to stop. Now of all times, it's crucial for us to be able to work together. We're technically stranded on a hill where people regularly go missing. You two arguing may very well get you killed because you won't be paying attention to what's going on around you."

I paused and took a breath.

"I need you girls to put aside your differences and move past it. No more insulting each other like you did yesterday and no more fighting like you did today— _no_ , Yukari, let me finish," I added when the girl in question tried to speak. "This crap is beneath both of you, and it's only going to cause problems for everybody involved. Plus…" I began whispering the last part, leaning in closer so that I could talk quieter. "We've got Moka and Mizore here. Moka doesn't want to see you two fighting—neither do I, for that matter—and Mizore is still learning how to interact with her peers. This isn't the type of example you want to set."

I stepped back, giving the two some space. "Just go ahead and sit down for a little while to cool your heads until you can help out without clawing at each other's throats." I finished the statement by gesturing to the empty seats scattered around the cabin. There were several of them, and, as well as tables and dirty dishes that the symbiote and I had both noticed. Silently, we concluded that someone might have lived here once. They may have been the first victim of whatever creature or creatures lived on Witch Hill.

… _or the cabin's owners may still live here…_

I was suddenly very uncomfortable in this building.

Turning on my heel, I began walking over to Moka and Mizore while Kurumu and Yukari both took a seat.

 _If there's someone out there that's going to come back to this cabin anytime soon, then I don't wanna be here when they come back. Too much explaining to do, too risky to meet a total stranger like this._

And if they still lived in this cabin, a cabin that was practically within spitting distance of the field of flowers, then the owners were either insane, unaware of the danger just outside their door, _comfortable_ with that danger, or…

Or they were the danger.

 _We're leaving this cabin._

"So…" Moka began awkwardly as I stopped in front of her and Mizore. "They, uh, they had an argument, huh?"

"Yeah," I mumbled. "It's stupid. I'm sure they'll be over it soon though. This isn't how they usually act." The last part was more directed at Mizore than Moka, just to show her that this behavior was both unusual among our group and not at all ideal. The snow woman in question was looking over my shoulder at Kurumu and Yukari.

"Should I go cool their heads?" she asked bluntly, raising an icy, claws hand to her face. I blanched, blinking at her in confusion before vigorously shaking my head.

"No, uh, that's fine!" I said hurriedly. "No need for those extremes. Let's let them calm down naturally."

Mizore gave me a blank look before shrugging and putting her claw away. I breathed an inward sigh of relief, mentally reminding myself that Mizore was still pretty new to the idea of interacting with others in a normal way.

 _I've got my work cut out for me here._

I gestured to Kurumu and Yukari. "Take note, Mizore. That was a lesson in how _not_ to act when you're in a life-or-death situation."

Mizore cracked a smile, and I could hear Moka giggle quietly. This was good. These two weren't brought down too much by the argument that had just occurred. This would only be all the more difficult if everyone had become depressed.

The symbiote, meanwhile, silently reminded me that I had just decided that we should leave the house. Right, we needed a better location. "Alright, so," I began. "I don't think it's a good idea to stay in this cabin for much longer. It might be a good idea to find a better area to take shelter in."

"What's wrong with the cabin?" Yukari asked from behind me. I pointed to the dirty dishes lying around and to the small pile of hay in the corner. "Someone may have lived here. Someone might _still_ live here. I, for one, would rather we didn't have to explain why we broke into this place to a total stranger if they were to come home. Not to mention that it would be a little suspicious for someone to be living so close to an area known for the people that had gone missing here."

Mizore's eyes widened by a fraction. "You think some sort of kidnapper might live here?"

I shrugged. "It might be them. It might not be. Either way, I don't think it's a good idea to stay here much longer. We should move to a better location—and it might be safer to get further away from the field. And besides, this cabin is wooden. Not much of a shield, to be honest."

Moka seemed to contemplate the idea. "That might be a good choice. But where would we go? We still need someplace to stay, especially when it gets dark."

I frowned, scratching my chin in thought."We could try to hike down to the nearest human city…" I paused for a moment when I heard Yukari inhale sharply at the mention of us staying in a city populated by humans. "Unless you guys have money, though, we won't actually have a hotel or anything to stay in. We might end up sleeping on the streets, which can be dangerous."

And then another thought struck me.

"We don't know where the town is," I said quietly, palming my face. "We left the road long ago—we were driving on dirt and grass for ages before getting here. There's no path for us to follow back."

Mizore frowned. "The road could be miles away…we'd probably get lost trying to find it."

"And the road itself doesn't guarantee a safe trip back to a town," Moka mumbled. "We're completely lost…"

Crap, nobody had bothered to memorize the route we were taking, not even the symbiote. None of us expected to get ditched like this, especially so far from marked roads and paths. We were, technically, out in the middle of nowhere.

I sat down, brows furrowing as the symbiote and I began brainstorming. "Alright, we've got camping supplies and food to last for at least two days. If the bus driver returns for us, it'll most likely be at the end of our scheduled trip, and probably at the same place he dropped us off."

"So, here," Mizore summarized. I nodded.

"Right," I began. "We'll most likely get lost trying to find our way to a nearby human city, and the trees and hills will probably prevent us from seeing any towns from here. We can try to spot one, but I wouldn't bet on that. And I don't think we could all go climbing down rocky terrain unless we use our powers, and that's risky in the human world. I think, at this point, our best option is to get a little distance between us and this field, and set up a camp."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kurumu interrupted. "What if we just focus on figuring all this out? If we do that, wouldn't we be safer?"

"But we'd still be stuck here," Yukari mumbled, seemingly deep in thought. "We have no way to contact the bus driver or Miss Nekonome, do we? There's no service out here. They'll still come at the same time to check on us. We'll need to set up a camp sooner or later, and better to do it sooner, in case we run into problems. Setting up in the dark might be a bit difficult."

"And we might not be able to figure all this out in one day," Moka added. "Plus, we still need food and water. We've got light snacks, but the majority of the food we brought is meant to be prepared, we can't just eat it on the fly."

Interesting, was that done on purpose? Had this all been planned from the start? The camping equipment, the food; it seemed convenient that we had all this to help us while we were out here, stranded with no sure way to get back.

 _But then Miss Nekonome had been confused about us coming here. And the bus driver must have set off her instincts by offering fish—she's a cat, after all. Or maybe she trusts him enough to believe that everything will be alright?_

"If we want to leave to a better place," Mizore said softly. "We should go now, while things seem calm."

"You're right," I said as I jumped up and looked out the cabin's one window, searching for signs of trouble. "We should get moving while we can. Grab whatever you brought here with you and let's go. Don't take anything that you didn't bring."

We had stayed here long enough, wondering what we were going to do. The first order of business was to establish a campsite, a sort of 'base of operations'. This would simply be the first step in our attempt to figure out what was going on—both with the kidnappings and our being here.

 _Alright then, let's get this show on the road._

* * *

 _A little while later…_

The day had begun to stretch into the early evening by the time we finished finding a suitable spot for our campsite and actually setting everything up. Plus, a good deal of time went into preparing a proper meal for us. When I had looked up not long ago, I noted that the sun was a little lower than I would have liked.

We were currently eating the food Moka and Kurumu had whipped up. We knew the smell of food could attract unwanted attention from local fauna and—possibly—the attention of any nearby people, but we were all hungry, and we needed to eat.

And while we ate, I informed the girls of my findings in the newspaper the bus driver had given us.

"So, there are a few references to the people who went missing," I explained. "We've got sightseers, tourists; people that come here to solve the 'mystery of Witch Hill'. I haven't seen anything suggesting that these people were bigshots or something of the sort. Just average Joes who ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Meaning?" Kurumu asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever is making these people disappear doesn't seem to be going for anybody of particular importance," Yukari answered before I could. "This might not even be a kidnapper—it could be some wild animal preying on anybody unfortunate enough to come here."

Moka gasped. "What if it's some feral monster?"

"Better a feral monster than some insane individual," I mumbled. "I'm hoping that we're just dealing with an animal here. If it's a person, then, well, they may not be the most stable of people."

"Do you think it could be some sort of angry spirit?" asked Moka. "Or a ghost?"

"If it's a ghost then Yōkai Academy brought the wrong group to handle it," I said. "But, on a more serious note, I have no idea. It might not even be a monster."

"Do we have any idea as to where it might be?" Mizore asked quietly. "Or how we're going to find it?" I shook my head.

"Not yet," I answered. "The only thing I can say for certain is that, if we decide to check anything out today, we're going to have to make it quick. We don't have that much time before it starts getting dark, and if we get lost while wandering around, we'd be leaving all our supplies out here."

"I think it might be a good idea to wait until tomorrow," Yukari chimed in. "There's no telling if we'll be able to find our way back to this specific spot after we start looking around the area. If we wait until tomorrow, in the morning, we can eat, pack up, and take everything with us. If we go out tonight and get lost, all our food, water, and supplies will be here, and we'll be who-knows-where. Alternatively, we'll at least have our supplies."

I nodded in agreement, silently impressed with her. She was doing a remarkable job of powering through her fear, and she was putting her mind to use out here.

"I guess we're staying here for the night," I stated before pausing. "Unless someone has a better idea?"

Kurumu, Moka, and Mizore seemed to think for a moment before they decided that Yukari's plan seemed like the best one for now. After the meal, we cleaned up, gathered whatever trash we had, and then we began preparing for bed. Going to sleep early meant we could start investigating early tomorrow morning.

Of course, given the current setting, sleeping without someone keeping watch could be dangerous. While trying to figure out who should stay up, the Inner Moka had actually given us her input:

" _ **If someone or something were to attack, the one keeping an eye out would have to be capable of both waking the others up and defending them while they come to their senses,"**_ she had said. _**"Peter and I are the best candidates, at this point.**_ "

She had been right; if trouble showed up, the person keeping watch would be the first in the fight, and she and I were the most capable fighters out of everyone here, all things considered. It was decided that the Inner Moka would take the first watch, and then rest up for the rest of the night. I would be taking the second watch.

But as we prepared our camp for the night, however, I noticed Yukari sitting off to the side on a large rock, staring off into the distance. Frowning, I walked over to her. "Hey," I greeted. "You alright?"

The little witch glanced over her shoulder at me. "I'm fine," she answered, though, her tone and appearance didn't indicate the same.

"You're not the best of liars, you know," I said as I looked her up and down. "You're usually pretty energetic. You look pretty down right now." The quiet sigh that left her lips was all the confirmation I needed. "What's wrong?" I finally asked.

She shifted in place. From what I could tell, she looked like she was considering the idea of talking to me.

"Hey, I know we haven't talked all that much since, uh, you know, 'brooms and buckets'," I began with a shrug, noting with a small smile that the corners of Yukari's lips tugged upwards at the mention of her first spell on me. "But you do realize that I won't make fun of you for being uncomfortable in the human world, right?"

Yukari snorted. "Who said I was afraid?"

I smiled. "You did. I said 'uncomfortable'. You said 'afraid'."

She opened her mouth to say something, but promptly closed it when she realized what she had said. "If you're really not comfortable talking about it, do you want me to get Moka? I know you're a lot more open with her. Though, I _did_ spend my whole life in the human world. If it's this world that you're scared of, I'm open to talking about it, if you want."

The witch studied me for a few seconds, seemingly wondering if it was worth telling me, before taking a breath. "I'm afraid of what might happen," she admitted. "I…I've heard stories. Witches haven't forgotten the brutal witch hunts from back in the day, when humans chased us down and…and _killed_ my ancestors in horrible, painful ways. And now _I'm_ here, in the world that the humans call home." She shook her head. "I don't belong here."

 _Alright, at least she's talking about it. That's a start._

I hopped up on the rock, sitting down next to her. "I've read up a little on your species' history. And, back at my old schools, I learned a little about it too, though from the humans' perspective. They think that it was just ignorance and superstition. Modern humans don't believe that witches exist. So if it makes you feel better, you could probably walk up to a human and tell them that you're a witch, and they'll probably just smile and laugh, and maybe even compliment your outfit."

"That doesn't change the fact that they tortured my ancestors," Yukari mumbled. "Those feelings existed in the humans, at one point in time. If they found out I was a real witch, who knows what they might do?"

"I'm pretty sure witch hunts aren't a thing anymore," I said with a shrug. "But, understand that hiding your true nature while you're out here is part of being what you are. Until peace and coexistence is achieved, monsters will probably have to keep hiding. Unless you disguise yourself as a super human or something."

"Coexistence seems like a faraway dream," Yukari said quietly. "They tell us that the goal of Yōkai Academy is to ultimately teach coexistence by preparing us for a life in the human world, and there are definitely monsters out there who want nothing more than to see humans and monsters getting along, but…it seems so distant. How can humans and monsters coexist when humans are so violent towards even each other? And with all those super humans popping up, things are getting even crazier."

I ignored the fact that Yukari neglected to mention problems in monster society too. "Sadly, I don't think this coexistence we want will happen in our lifetimes," I said, looking down at the ground. "It's going to take…time. Lots of it."

"At this rate, it'll take centuries," Yukari mumbled dryly.

Unfortunately, she was right.

A few seconds of silence passed before I began speaking again. "On the topic of your fear of humans…you're always welcome to come talk about it. I'm willing to listen, and I'm sure Moka would be too. And, you know, there are some genuinely good humans out there. Those that are so gentle and kind that they wouldn't hurt a fly, or those who readily put their lives on the line for others, like firemen, for example. Or some of those, eh, 'superheroes'."

Yukari gave me an odd look. "You really think so?"

"I know so," I answered. "I've seen men and women risk their lives for others before, and I've met humans who are as kind as Moka. My closest friends were actually human."

 _That_ got her attention. "Really?" she asked, the disbelief evident in her voice. "You got that close to them? They were that nice?"

"Yup. It's the same with monsters too, really. You've got people like Moka, who are just outrageously kind, and then you've got people like Saizou or Kotsubo. Humans can be just as diverse. They can be as kind as Moka, or…"

— _his green face contorted in a horrifying grin, deranged laughter echoing through my ears—_

"Or they can be twisted beyond belief," I finished quietly. Yukari blinked, looking at me in confusion before I shook my head. "My point is that you don't need to worry about a crowd of humans immediately singling you out and charging at you with pitchforks and torches. And even if they did, we wouldn't let them hurt you."

I let my words sink in for a few moments, watching as Yukari thought over them. Finally, she turned back to me, a smile on her face. "Thanks," she said. "This…this has helped."

"Don't mention it," I said, returning the smile. "What are friends for?"

"Oh so we're friends now?" Yukari asked with a knowing giggle.

"Are you telling me that this whole time, you've considered me as something less?" I asked with faked hurt in my voice.

"I don't know, I sorta always thought of you as 'that one weirdo Moka always hangs out with'," Yukari giggled while playfully sticking her tongue out.

"Well, I never!" I laughed. The witch girl joined in on it, and it took us a few seconds to really quiet down.

"Alright then," I began. "You should get to bed. We've got work to do tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay," said Yukari, yawning as she got up and stretched. "Good night then."

"Good night," I said with a wave. "I'm going to go get Inner Moka for first watch, so remember, if you look out of your tent and spot someone in the campsite, remember that it's just her. If it's _not_ her—or someone you know—then you can go ahead and scream."

Yukari giggled. "Got it."

I gave Yukari another wave as the girl began walking to her tent. However, a second later, she froze as a shrill sound pierced the air. I felt my breathing come to a stop, chills running down my spine as the sound rang out a second time. The unmistakable sound…

"HELP!"

…of someone screaming.

* * *

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Timeline:** _Yes, I know that I'm messing with it, but I've got reasons, which I won't disclose yet to avoid spoilers._

 **Peter's Old Gear:** _I felt as though it'd be weird for him to leave it at New York, especially considering that it was his first suit and one of his primary 'weapons' during his earlier days as Spider-Man. Plus, it gives me extra tools to use for future plots if I can get creative with them._

 **Mizore:** _Now, she hasn't played a big role in this chapter, but, she is here for a reason. One that I feel is rather logical. Again, to avoid spoilers, I won't give anything away yet._

 **Yukari's Fear of Super Humans:** _Yukari wasn't all that comfortable with humans, so the idea of a super human/metahuman/mutant/whatever would probably freak her out all the more._

 **Peter Offering to Stay with Moka:** _I don't think Peter would be comfortable with the idea of Moka staying behind on her own without any protection. Peter didn't know Ginei wasn't coming along, so he assumed that Moka would be all alone, which didn't sit well with him, given the amount of crazy perverts at the Academy and Moka's popularity with them. It seemed natural that he'd offer to stay behind to keep her safe, and he'd probably do the same for the others if they couldn't defend themselves._

 **Slow Chapter:** _Yes, I know, not much happens. This chapter mostly sets up for the more action-oriented part of this arc, and I didn't want to lengthen it further for the sake of having a fight scene thrown in. I wanted to end off at 10k words max, but, obviously, that didn't work too well. I needed to get the full setup going here, so I finished it off at 16k words with a closing scene that sets up for action._

 **The Girls' Argument:** _These things can get started up quickly, especially if the girls hit each other's weak spots. In canon, Kurumu has shown to get a little frustrated when everyone—particularly Tsukune—praises Moka for being smart. She's had negative reactions to being called dumb by Yukari too, so I turned that into the reasoning for their frustration with each other. Yukari, on the other hand, didn't like being treated like a child, and, on a few occasions, it's hinted that she wanted a more adult body. Being insulted over it could set her off._

 **Talk with Yukari:** _Yukari didn't necessarily seem uncomfortable with the idea of people knowing about her fear of the human world, she just seemed unhappy with the idea of Kurumu knowing. I figured she'd be more open to talking about it with someone like Peter._

 **Peter the Argument Settler:** _I know it might seem like he's a little TOO nosey and maybe even a little too perfect, but the way I see it, Peter knows that the argument could endanger Kurumu and Yukari if they can't cooperate during a crucial situation. That, and Peter is a naturally very mature guy, and that's made even more obvious when you compare him to the series' original male protagonist, Tsukune. Tsukune was pretty obsessed with Moka, but Peter is currently more concerned with the girls' mental, emotional, and physical health. He cares for them a lot, but instead of "Moka…", "Tsukune…" moments that last for thirty seconds, there are more moments where he's just looking out for them._


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Catter the Mad:** _In my head, the symbiote reabsorbed it. Or, Peter could have just torn it apart._

 **I Be Random:** _Oh, that sounds interesting. Maybe at some point we'll throw it in and see what happens._

 **Pyromania101:** _Happy to hear that._

 **Snorlax Motive:** _Yes, so far, my story is meant to follow the manga more than the anime, though you'll see elements of both._

 **infadinityfollower:** _Awesome!_

 **Tobias97:** _It does help, actually. Your review motivates me :)_

 **Umbra. Venator:** _And I'm excited to write it! I'm just hoping I do it right._

 **Rufael:** _Yeah, the anime was more comedy-oriented, so it had those stupid scenes. I'm glad you're liking Peter's role in the story—and I agree, he does fit the description for it. And you're welcome!_

 **thom. clark. 73:** _Ah, quizzical huh? Cool, thanks for pointing that out, and for the Spidey facts :) I'm glad you're liking my work so far, and I hope it continues to please. If I missed anything in your reviews, go ahead and point it out. Enjoy the chapter :)_

 **6tailedninja:** _Hey, you never know, right? We'll just have to wait and see._

 **Locothehood:** _I'll certainly try not to :)_

 **Server lock:** _Hmm, maybe you're right. I do have some uncertainty planned for this Peter's future, so you'll see it eventually, but maybe I'll add some in earlier too. Thanks for the input._

 **Ki Dalang Samezu:** _Nice! I'm glad you're enjoying it! As for other Marvel characters, at this point, I'm not sure. Obviously, I've focused a lot on Peter, but maybe I could include someone else later on for an arc or cameo. No guarantees, but it's not a definite 'no' either. But you are right, it would be epic!_

 **Betoran:** _It may be weird yeah, but I like explaining why I do what I do. Yup, action this chapter, cliffhangers last chapter!_

 **Croniklerx/Arachnophile801:** _You know the drill. Check that inbox._

 **coldblue:** _Good luck with your new job! Don't worry about late reviews (I post late chapters, don't I?) Yeah, I'm trying to think of a way to get Ginei more involved in the story. Peter needs some guy friends. Glad you liked Yukari's character here, and the bus driver's moments. And yup, Mizore's finally back! Maybe Peter will get back to working on the web shooters at some point, we'll see. I agree that magic users have it pretty hard in this crazy world, so Yukari's fear felt natural to write. Kurumu's arguments with Yukari were actually based on what happened in the original manga/anime, so there's not much new stuff there, though Peter trying to keep the peace is obviously new. I agree that Yukari would study, but I thought that she'd be nervous to look into metahumans and the whatnot. Maybe if she gets over her fear in the future, she'll look into it… Now, for your questions: 1) That's to be decided. 2) I've actually been thinking about that, and I THINK (emphasis on think), that I see a way to introduce them in the future 3) I don't think so. Plane tickets are expensive, but it's possible that I'll change my mind. 4) I'm still debating that one. I like the idea of writing about the Rosario + Vampire world with Peter changing it, as opposed to focusing on the Marvel aspect of things though. 5) Good question. But they first have to find out he's a metahuman, now don't they? :) I read your suggestions, and I've got to say that I really like the idea of Ruby showing a little of the teacher's perspective of Yōkai Academy. I think I might use that. Anyway, tell me if I missed anything, and enjoy the chapter!_

 **Red Rain17:** _Um, I don't know? Why?_

 **AnonBryd:** _Ah, dang, I wish you had told me that earlier. I can already see some pretty good uses for a city that's utterly packed with heroes and villains alike. Crap, oh well, what's done is done. I guess New York has less metahumans in this story now :/_

 **Guest:** _How exactly is he the one with prejudice?_

 **Face Yourself:** _Awesome! I want to see more Mizore too, but all in good time my friend. She gets some attention here too though._

 **theallaroundnerd:** _Hmm, maybe I will throw something like that in for future chapters. This chapter is actually coming out exactly one week after you posted this review, so you were half right (literally)._

 **aznxa21:** _Lol, thank you!_

 **Drunkle Qrow:** _Glad to hear it!_

 **Stay Blessed:** _I think the symbiote suit is one of my favorites too. Whether or not this will turn into a harem is yet to be revealed, but I will certainly try to build their relationships as realistically as I can. In regards to other Marvel characters, you and I actually have a very similar mindset. I think it'd be cool, but at the same time, I'm enjoying writing about Peter's effects on everything in the Rosario world. Thank you for all the compliments and I'm glad you're enjoying my story! (Sorry about the shorter reply—I'm trying to avoid bloating the reply section)_

 **A/N:** _Guys, I am so sorry that this took so long. The reason I'm apologizing this time is because this chapter could have been finished ages ago if I hadn't procrastinated so much, and if my attention span was wider than a goldfish's. I felt like crap when I finished this because I knew I could have been done long ago if it weren't for me being an idiot. Also,_ _as of October 20_ _th_ _, "Bats and Spiders" is the most reviewed, most followed, and most favorited Spider-Man/Rosario Vampire crossover. Thank you all so much, for both the support and the patience you've shown. Here's to hoping that I can write a chapter like a normal person in the future._

* * *

 **-Chapter 17: Plants versus Spiders-**

My feet crashed against the dirt, leaving small craters in the ground from how much force I was slamming them down with. I could see it shattering as cracks branched out from wherever my foot made contact with the earth.

Instinct was the only word to describe it. Many, many months of responding like this had turned what should have taken time and thought into a decision that I made instantly, almost by muscle memory.

But without thinking.

And it was without thinking that we were rushing through the trees, Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, and I. They had followed me as soon as I took off, sprinting as they attempted to keep up.

"Peter!" shouted Moka. "Slow down, we can't keep up!"

…'attempted' being the keyword. For all their powers, for all their different abilities, they were just too _slow_ compared to me. Even Kurumu, who could fly, couldn't hope to match me in a contest of speed unless she was diving instead of flying. I was pulling away and I knew it, but to stay together, I had to refrain from running or swinging at full speed.

"SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!"

And running any slower could cost someone their life.

 _We need to split up._

I realized it as we ran, finally taking a moment to use my head. Whatever was happening out there, I could reach it in half the time it would take the others to do so. Precious seconds could be spent saving someone from an early death, and I couldn't waste them.

"I'm going to run ahead!" I shouted, not bothering to look back. "The rest of you come as soon as you can!"

"Go!" Kurumu ordered without hesitation. "Make sure whoever is out there is alright!"

I nodded, more so to myself than to the succubus as I began moving faster. However, Yukari's cry forced me to slow down again. "Wait!" shouted the girl. "If it's really a witch out there, take me with you! I might be able to talk some sense into her!"

I almost tripped as she shouted that, if only because I took a moment to consider it. If this was in fact a witch, Yukari _might_ be able to talk her down. It was a slim chance, and it was dangerous for the girl, but if it could help save lives, and if she was willing…

The symbiote shot a black web line at Yukari the second it could understand what I wanted to do. Surprised, the witch girl yelped as she was yanked through the air, landing on my back as the symbiote reeled her in. Probably out of a desire to grab hold of something for stability, her arms wrapped around my neck, and I had the symbiote grab hold of them to ensure that she didn't fall off, while the parts of it that were in contact with Yukari stuck to her.

"Hold on!" I commanded as I continued sprinting faster. I could feel Yukari's arms tighten as she obeyed. The distance between the others and I continued to grow rapidly as I pulled further away, dashing through the trees. Almost without conscious thought, I commanded the symbiote to form the black suit as we charged towards danger once symbiote mentally grinned and complied, while Yukari squirmed as it stretched out beneath her, covering my back and then the rest of my body in the black suit.

"Egh! This feels so weird!" Yukari yelled over the sound of rushing wind. I didn't respond, instead focusing on finding the source of the screaming. It was this way, I was sure of it, but a feeling of panic had begun building within me when I realized that I had no idea if I had already passed the person or not.

"HEY!" I roared. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"HERE!" screamed a distinctly female voice after a second. "WE'RE OVER HERE!"

We, the symbiote noted. She said 'we'. There was more than one person.

"HANG ON, WE'RE COMING!" I shouted before addressing Yukari. "Listen, if this turns into a fight, _stay behind me_."

"I can fight too!"

"But you can't take a beating, am I right?" I replied, still sprinting. "I've got a better chance of surviving when it comes to how much pain I can deal with, so if one of us gets hit, it's better me than you."

Yukari might have been about to say something, but whatever it was, it was tuned out when we burst out of the trees, directly into an endless ocean of sunflowers. I could see a humanoid figure struggling against something among the plants. I was by the young woman's—I could tell she was female, now that I was closer—side in a split second, dropping Yukari off next to her.

And then I saw it. A second female, partially covered in plants lying in the dirt.

"Please help!" cried the woman that was pulling on her downed friend's arm. "I don't know what's going on, the plants are attacking her!" Sure enough, the plants actually seemed to be _dragging_ the second female deeper into their roots.

"Stand back," I ordered as I grabbed the arm of the unconscious woman, looping my other hand underneath her for support. Her friend let go, backing away as I hauled the female out of the plants. Whatever was attached to her peeled off like stickers, and while it left a few red spots on her skin, the woman was, at the very least, out of the plants.

Spider sense.

"Peter, watch out!" Yukari shouted, but I had already detected the danger. A large mass began hauling itself out of the flowers, a deep rumbling emanating from it. A massive, pod-like creature soon towered over us, a gaping maw staring at us and revealing huge teeth. The vines that were attached to the woman were revealed to be attached to this monster as well. The tendril-like growths lashed out at us, and I managed to react in time to shove Yukari and the conscious woman out of the way while I scrambled back, still carrying her friend.

Two more similar monstrosities lumbered out of the flowers, roaring at us as we backed away. "Yukari," I began as I placed the woman down on the ground. "Watch these two for a minute. If anything, focus on keeping them alive. I'm going to deal with the Plantzillas."

I didn't give Yukari a chance to respond before I jumped forward.

My fist crashed against the head of the first plant creature. Its upper jaw caved in and sank under the pressure. The plant's form reminded me a lot of a Pitcher Plant, minus the massive teeth, of course. I kicked off the hulking monster, jumping over to the next one. I stretched my leg out, and a second later, my foot sank into the midsection of the creature, this time with far more strength than my last hit.

I noted that the first monster I had attacked was swaying from what looked like dizziness, but it was still standing. The one that I had just kicked, however, was tumbling to the ground. Forcing myself away from the falling plant, I pounced at the third one. Its long arms reached out to grab me, but it was way too slow to actually accomplish anything. I weaved through its attack with ease, before planting my hands on the ground and launching myself forward a second time, aiming both feet at the plant's bulging midsection.

The kick was roughly equivalent in power to the previous one, and the monster gave a loud, pained croak before it began falling to the ground, leaving only the first stunned plant I had attacked. However, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something that threw warning flags up in my head.

Yukari and the two women were slowly being surrounded by three more plant monsters.

Eyes narrowing, I veered away from the still-stunned creature that I had hit and began sprinting over to the witch girl and the two women. Yukari raised her wand, chanting something to herself. The conscious female we had saved knelt down next to her friend, cradling her and shielding her. Yukari's chanting momentarily grew louder before I was suddenly forced to skid to a stop as glowing, winged cards shot out from the girl, swirling around her.

I stood transfixed as I watched a little girl telekinetically fling slips of paper through the air with enough speed to rip through plant flesh. The cards continued swirling around, cutting through the plant monsters like they were butter. However, I could see the strain written on Yukari's face. Whatever this spell was, it took its toll on her.

Whirling around, a fired a small barrage of impact webbing at the plant monster I had left behind, ensnaring and ensuring that it wouldn't attack while we weren't paying attention. I then turned back to watch the plants fall to pieces, courtesy of those cards of Yukari's. It occurred to me that this was the first time I was really seeing Yukari fight something, and for an eleven-year-old girl to be capable of this…I could only shake my head.

The creatures that had surrounded Yukari and the two women had crumpled to the ground, literally falling apart after the razor cards had cut them down. Looking around, I tried to find any signs of more predators like them, and when neither the symbiote nor I detected anything, I slowly walked over to a panting Yukari, her wand held in both hands as she hunched over.

"Hey," I said gently as I walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder and kneeling down. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she breathed between her gulps for air. "Just….tired. That spell—I put a lot of power into it to make sure it worked like it was supposed to."

"Just fatigue then?" I asked. "Nothing else to worry about?"

"Just fatigue," she confirmed. I nodded before standing up to full height, finally making eye contact with the woman in the cap—the one who was still awake. Her tear-stained eyes were wide, watching us in shock and awe. I pressed my lips together, an uneasy feeling spreading through me.

One of the many hidden monster races had just displayed her power in front of what appeared to be two ordinary humans. _I_ had just used my powers in plain sight, and I was still pretending to be a monster who hid from mankind.

 _What's done is done...we've got to focus on dealing with this now._

"Metahumans…"whispered the female, her hands trembling. "Y-You kids…you're m-metahumans, aren't you?"

'Metahuman', huh? Japan's term for superhuman individuals? I wasn't gonna lie, it felt good to hear someone call me that. After so much time spent pretending to be a monster, it was nice to get a taste of home again, to have someone acknowledge me as a fellow human being.

The woman's eyes moved to look at Yukari. "Is she a witch?" she whispered. "The one who lives on this hill?"

"No," I answered after a moment of collecting myself. "She's not. You don't have to worry, we're not gonna hurt you."

She looked between us for a few seconds before breaking out into quiet, disbelieving chuckling. "Metahumans," she breathed as she shook her head. "I can't believe it. I'm actually talking to a pair of metahumans! What are you guys doing here? Are you here to stop the witch? Are there any others here with you?"

I blinked. In a split second, this young woman had gone from being a scared, crying person trying to save her friend to being a curious mind firing questions at us faster than we could answer them. And _we_ had gone from something as simple and easy as setting up a campsite to something as crazy as fighting giant carnivorous plants and saving people from getting eaten by said plants. And now we had a woman under the impression that Yukari and I were both metahumans—and while she was half right, Yukari and the others would need to act and play along to avoid exposing their species to humanity.

"It's…a long story," I finally mumbled before attempting to change the subject. "Are you hurt?"

The woman's eyes widened as she seemed to remember something. She immediately turned her attention to her injured friend, her hands rushing to start checking for fatal injuries. I left her to her work and turned to Yukari, leaning down next to the still-panting girl.

"Play along," I whispered as quietly as I could into her ear. "Right now, we're metahumans." She swallowed in discomfort, no doubt unnerved by the idea of pretending to be something she was afraid of, but nodded anyway.

Movement in the trees. The others.

I turned at the symbiote's urging, looking into the woods as movement and noise became more obvious, and shapes began approaching the clearing. Kurumu was the first to burst out into the flowers, followed by Mizore and Moka. The succubus, her nails extended and ready for combat, spotted us right away and rushed over, skidding to a stop as she neared us.

"We got here as soon as we could!" she declared, scanning me over. "We heard roaring and fighting on the way here. What happened? Are you guys hurt?!" She then blinked as she looked around, noting the handful of massive plant monster bodies lying around us. "And what the heck happened here? Since when do you cut things to pieces?"

I smirked. "I didn't do that. Apparently, Yukari's got some tricks up her sleeve."

Kurumu gaped at me before taking a second look at the plants that had been mutilated by Yukari's razor cards. " _Y_ - _Yukari_ did this? How did…?"

Yukari, meanwhile, let out a quiet chuckle that bordered on a cough. "Told you I wasn't afraid…"

The succubus could only blink in shock at the young witch. Mizore and Moka caught up at that point, both of them coming to a stop just a few feet away. I noticed that the snow woman had also tapped into her powers, which she had manifested as icy claws.

There was a quiet gasp behind me as the woman perked up again. "More metahumans?" she asked as her eyes focused on Kurumu's claws. "How many of you guys are there?"

Kurumu blinked as she finally took notice of the female behind me and glanced between the woman in the cap and me several times in confusion. "Metahumans?" she asked slowly before looking at her talons. Her eyes widened when she realized she had forgotten to hide her abilities in front of a human, and while she immediately retracted her nails, it was too late.

"Uh," I began, noting that Mizore had a similar reaction to Kurumu's as she hid her own claws. "Yeah…they're also…metahumans…" I said the words slowly to try and clue the girls in on the fact that they had to pretend to be what I was describing in front of the woman.

"Amazing," whispered the woman, her eyes wide. "So many of you in one place…I've always wanted to meet people like you."

I remained silent as I looked down at the other woman, the one who had yet to wake up.

 _Alright, try to keep the subject off of us. That'll help avoid blowing the girls' cover._

"You should get your friend to a hospital," I announced. "We don't know if those things were venomous, and we don't have anything with us that can help her if she's seriously injured. Do you have a car?"

"Yes," replied the female in the cap, nodding at me. "We drove here. And you're right; she might need a doctor. But what about you guys? Are you all alright?"

I knew I was fine. Yukari said she was okay as well, but just to be sure, I checked over my shoulder and gestured at the girls. I received a series of shaking heads as my answer. Turning back to the woman, I shrugged. "I think we're fine. Thanks anyway."

"Alright, but…" she stood up, looking over us. "What are you kids doing here?"

 _Oh boy…how to answer this one? We could say we were sent to stop the kidnappings, but then she might want to know who sent us. And the girls' might be unwillingly marked as super humans or metahumans or whatever. That could create huge issues for them back at Yōkai…So, what, we're just passing through? Is that what we're going with?_

I must have taken too long to answer, because Mizore was the one to speak up. "We were out…camping when we heard you screaming, so we came to help. Peter is the fastest—"

I twitched at her nonchalant use of my real name. In this kind of situation, names were best left unspoken.

"—so he got here first," Mizore finished.

The woman blinked. "An entire group of metahumans camping together?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Ah, we're close friends?" Moka offered. "I guess our…odd qualities brought us together?"

Huh, technically, that was true. But would the woman buy it? Her expression was one of confusion and curiosity, and the look in her eye made it seem as though she was a tad bit suspicious. But what could I say to her? She had _seen_ us, and unlike in New York, I couldn't just say I'm the local hero and swing away. That would have too many consequences here.

Make _her_ leave, the symbiote suggested. Give her a reason to go…

 _Hmm…alright then._

"Ma'am," I began, ready to reinforce a previous point. "You should really get your friend to a hospital. We can help you get to your car and make sure you get away from the hill, but we should do it before anything else decides to show up."

The woman hesitated but nodded all the same. "Right," she said before gently leaning down and picking up her friend, supporting her as she stood. "Come on," she whispered with a small smile. "Let's get you patched up."

I moved to help her, but paused when I reminded myself that, while we had avoided exposing the others as monsters, we had still exposed ourselves and claimed to be metahumans. My face wasn't visible or anything, but the girls' appearance would stick with this woman. If she ever saw them again and pointed them out as metahumans—even though they weren't—there might be serious problems for them at Yōkai if anybody suspected them of being human.

I sighed quietly to myself. We were going to need to talk to her about the importance of keeping our identities secret, and this whole 'metahumans at Witch Hill' business quiet. Heck, I didn't even know if she believed us. But what could I do? I would never intentionally hurt an innocent person, so anything that caused her harm wouldn't do.

No, this woman had seen us use our powers, and if we couldn't find a way to undo that, then we were just going to have to tell her to stay quiet about everything and hope for the best…

The problem with _that_ idea was that big secrets sometimes had the uncanny ability to get out.

And this secret _could not get out._

* * *

 _Later that evening – Newspaper Club's campsite_

I wasn't going to sleep.

I knew I wouldn't be able to before we even got back to our camp. There was too much on my mind, too much to think about. Between the plants and the two women, I had a fair amount of new information to analyze.

The woman and her friend had left peacefully enough. I had spoken to her before they could go, and I told the woman how important it was that she kept everything to herself. People couldn't know about the group of 'metahumans' that were camping on Witch Hill, and people most certainly couldn't know that _we_ were that group of 'metahumans'. Names weren't exchanged and we didn't try to get each others' contact information. In the end, she understood, and vowed to keep everything to herself.

But I was still worried. She had seen the girls' faces, and my 'monster form'. If she identified any of us ever again, she might get the others wrongly accused of being human, or get me _rightly_ accused of being human. It would be a while before I was truly at peace with the idea of her seeing us. At least she didn't immediately recognize me as Spider-Man—I was thankful for that.

There was also something else I was thankful for. The woman had provided us with both a map that showed how to get to the local town and a little history on this place. Apparently, there was supposed to be some sort of construction project taking place on the hill, and it would have required the workers to clear the sunflower field in order to make space.

Monster plants defending a sunflower field at a place called Witch Hill. Given what I had learned about witches from the various books I had read…this couldn't have been mere coincidence. Whether or not this was ultimately a witch's doing was still unknown, but I was starting to have my suspicions.

I was torn from my thoughts as I noticed one of the tents opening from the corner of my eye, and turned my head when Yukari walked out, holding a book in her arms as she approached me. The girl had needed some time to rest after her spell, and had actually ended up falling asleep for a short while, but she assured us repeatedly that she was alright. "Okay," she began, walking up next to me and holding the book out in front of us. "I think I've found it."

I hopped down from the rock I had been sitting on, leaning forward as I looked at the page. "Garigarious?" I wondered aloud.

"Yes," Yukari said with a nod. "It's a monster plant species that has an enormous appetite for meat."

"Carnivores?" I asked as a sickening feeling set in. "You mean those plants were trying to… _eat_ that woman?"

Yukari nodded grimly. "But it gets worse. Garigarious plants only grow in the _supernatural_ world. They're not supposed to exist in the human world."

I looked down at the ground. "So you think someone put them here?"

"That might be the case," replied the little witch. My unease only increased. We had taken a minute to examine the plant creatures we had fought, and Yukari said she recognized them. She had spent the last few minutes looking through the books she had brought with her. My reading material of choice had a lot of facts about monsters, but what I hadn't anticipated was monster _plants_. Sadly, I didn't bring any books that mentioned plant monsters, but Yukari also liked to read about the various species sometimes, and, unlike me, she had a book that talked a little about the plants we had fought.

 _Note to self: plants can apparently be an enemy too._

I'd need to get my hands on books about supernatural plants, and maybe do a little more research to see if there was anything besides monsters and monster plants that I had to worry about.

"Hey," I mumbled, still deep in thought. "I've read that witches have a connection to nature. Your magic interacts with it on certain levels, right?"

Yukari gave me a worried look. "Yes…do you think a witch brought them here?"

"We can't ignore the possibility," I answered. "Those plants shouldn't be growing here, and witches are connected to nature. And while we can't assume there's a witch here just because of the name, the title of Witch Hill had to have come from somewhere."

Yukari pursed her lips. "I don't like this," she said quietly.

"Me neither," I admitted. "But we're here for a reason, and it seems that reason is to figure out what's going on and put a stop to it. Plus, we have a chance to prevent disappearances occurring here." And given the nature of these plant creatures, it seemed as though the missing people didn't make it out alive.

I glanced up when the sound of a soft yawn reached my ears. I found Moka slowly approaching us, stretching as she did so. "Did you guys find anything?"

"Garigarious," I stated as I gestured to Yukari's book. "Aggressive, carnivorous plants. Said to inhabit only the supernatural world."

Moka blinked. "Wait, but then what are they doing here?" She stopped and gasped. "You don't think someone _brought_ them here, do you?"

"That's exactly what we're thinking," Yukari mumbled, her eyes scanning over the pages for a second time. "And if it wasn't someone, then it was something. Either way, it's bad news."

Moka only shook her head. "Do we have any idea who or what is doing this?"

Yukari and I glanced at each other. "We—err, at least, _I_ —think it might be a witch," I said after a pause. "Now, that's a big 'might', but a witch could potentially have the right tools to do something like this."

The vampire looked down to the ground. "Oh…I'm sorry, Yukari," she mumbled. "This can't be easy…"

The girl in question only sighed. "On the bright side," she began quietly. "Maybe, just _maybe_ , I can get this witch to back down. We're both of the same race after all."

"Don't try anything without us though," I cut in. "We have no clue what's out there, and I don't think I need to explain the danger of wandering off and attempting to contact this witch to you."

"Don't worry," she replied with a wave of her hand. "After today, I don't plan on going into those flowers alone." She paused and stretched her arms, yawning in the process. "Alright, I think I'm going to go to bed for tonight. I'll, uh, I'll leave the book with you, in case you stay up."

"Thanks," I said as I took the book from her hands. "Good night."

"Night."

Yukari turned on her heel and strolled back to her tent. Mizore and Kurumu, as far as I knew, had already gone to bed or were preparing for it, leaving just Moka and I. Turning to the vampire, I gestured to her rosary. "Well, she's got first watch," I began. "Ready to let her out?"

Moka smiled. "Sure. Good night, Peter." I nodded at her before reaching for the rosary.

"Hey, Inner Moka," I called. "I'm about to let you out. Make sure you've got that elaborate transformation of yours under control. Don't need the entire earth freaking out over a red moon or something."

I heard a quiet scoff from the rosary, causing me to smirk at it. "Should I take that as an 'I'm ready'?"

 _ **"Just remove the rosary,"**_ said the voice of the inner Moka. I gave the outer counterpart one last smile before yanking the jewel off.

The transformation was infinitely more subtle. Moka's hair changed color, her body changed in size and stature, and after a moment, the silver-haired Moka stood before me. "You know," I started. "You should transform like that more often. Short and sweet, you know?"

Moka rolled her eyes. "My usual transformations can spark fear in my enemies."

"Yeah, and they give the enemy about thirty seconds to run and hide while you're changing," I added, giving her a small smile. She snorted before sitting down.

"I will wake you when it is your turn," she stated. "You may go."

"As much as I'd like to, I know I won't fall asleep," I replied. "Too much on my mind. Mind if I stay here?"

Even if I went to bed, I'd just end up discussing it with the symbiote for hours on end. Being awake, I might as well make use of my time. Moka, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at me and shrugged. "Do as you wish," said the vampire. "Just be sure that when it comes time for you to watch over the camp, you'll be ready."

"Aye aye," I said with a mock salute before sitting down next to her.

 _Hey, symbiote, just in case, can you please keep an eye on the tents? Let me know if something's up._

The alien gave me the mental equivalent of a nod.

 _Thank you._

I relaxed after that, leaning back on the rock. A few moments of silence passed, and then a new thought struck me. "Hey, you heard us talking about the plant species we fought, right?"

Moka glanced at me. "Yes. Why?"

"Just checking. I wanted to make sure you're up to speed on things. Do you, by any chance, know if any species have a tendency to use these plants?" I asked. Moka tilted her head to the side, frowning as she thought about my question.

"I can't say I do," she mumbled. "No species immediately comes to mind, though, all things considered, I will admit that a witch does seem like a likely choice. We may very well be dealing with such a being."

"Yeah," I said quietly. "I thought so too."

Once again, silence began to reign, but Moka ended up surprising me by speaking up. "So," she began. "You handled being exposed to humans fairly well…"

"Uh, yeah," I replied as I scratched my chin. "Growing up in America, I was taught to pretend to be a metahuman if I ever got caught using my powers. Easiest way to explain myself without cluing people in on…you know…"

Moka smirked. "Hmm, makes me wonder if any of these metahumans you hear about are actually monsters pretending to be humans."

 _She's got a point there…_

"Oh, and, Peter, may I ask a rather…odd question?" asked the vampire, giving me an expectant look.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Is this going to turn into some sort of interrogation again?"

The silver-haired girl smiled. "No. I am asking out of simple curiosity."

"Go for it then."

She took a breath. "Are you a father?"

I blinked in shock, giving Moka a surprised and perplexed look. "Excuse me? A _father?_ No! Why would you even think that?"

Moka leaned back against the rock, making sure to pay attention to the campsite as she did so. "I've noticed the way you treat my other half and the rest of your club. It was particularly obvious during your talk with Kurumu and Yukari in regards to their foolish bickering, and your attitude towards them resembles that of a father, in certain ways. You're protective of them and you're constantly watching over them, which isn't the type of behavior I would expect a teenage boy to exhibit."

I snorted. "Well, I'm anything but the typical teenage boy."

"Hmm, fair enough. I had begun to assume that your race encouraged early parenthood, and that perhaps you act this way because you're accustomed to taking care of a child."

"Nope," I said with a shake of my head.

"Then were, might I ask, does the attitude come from?" she inquired.

I shrugged. "I guess it's part of who I am. Maybe I was born with it?"

Moka snorted. "One is not simply born with this kind of attitude. Upbringing, a defining moment, a painful life—anything can cause your way of thinking to flourish within a mind, but it doesn't just appear on its own."

She had a point. So what _was_ the cause? Why did I try to protect the girls so much? It may have been because I was afraid of losing them, but why was I so afraid?

Because I knew the feeling of losing someone. Because I understood the kind of influence a single individual can have in another's life, and the feelings associated with losing one of those special individuals. _Especially_ when their life ends unfairly and early.

My eyes drifted to the ground as I sighed. "Ever heard of the saying 'you don't know what you have until you've lost it'?" Moka glanced back at me and frowned, but nodded all the same. Swallowing quietly, I continued. "Well…that saying holds particularly true when it comes to people."

The meaning of my words, coupled with my tone of voice and expression reached Moka in a split second. Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked away from me and back to the campsite. "I…see," she mumbled. After a pause, she spoke again: "Have you mentioned this to any of the others?"

"I said something about it to Kurumu," I replied quietly, a memory of Uncle Ben flashing through my head. "This was when she was carrying me to the infirmary after Nagare. She didn't understand why I was so ready to throw my life on the line to keep her and your other half alive, and, well, I told her that I had lost people before—and not to natural causes. I told her that I wasn't going to sit by and just _watch_ if I thought I was about to lose someone again. And, if I can stop someone else from having to go through something like that, I will most certainly try."

Moka hesitated. "You said 'people', as in, plural," she gently pointed out.

This time, I was the one who hesitated. "Yes…plural."

The silver-haired girl remained silent for several moments, digesting the information. I don't think she was expecting this kind of explanation for my actions, evidenced by the fact that she seemed a little lost. After a few more seconds, she seemed to figure out what to say. "For what it's worth," she began. "It's been said that the toughest steel is forged in the hottest fire—suffering strengthens character. Your interference on the first day of school may have very well been the only thing that prevented my outer half from being violated by Saizou. Kurumu and Mizore as well—it was your actions that helped them. Yukari, to an extent, has you to thank for dealing with the Lizardmen. The other Moka and you both played key roles in putting an end to her old ways."

"And I'm glad they turned out the way they did," I said before turning to Moka. "So…did that answer your question?"

"Yes."

After that, Moka glanced up at the moon, before her eyes returned to the campsite. Even with our conversing, she was still keeping a close watch on the others. Eventually, though, she spoke again."Peter?"

"Hmm?"

"May I ask what actually happened?"

I hesitated. "You mean with the people that I…that I lost?" The vampire nodded. I swallowed quietly. The stories were burned into my memory, stored away in the back of my mind. I could still remember the crushing feeling of seeing Uncle Ben's lifeless body. Could still remember the guilt, the pain, the regret…

And then…and then there was _him_.

"— _She's dead you idiot! A fall like that would kill anyone!—"_

I could still remember that _psychopath._ His face, twisted in maniacal glee as he laughed over me. I could still remember the unyielding _rage_ I felt that night.

"— _You'll_ _ **pay**_ _for this,_ _Goblin!_ _ **—**_ _"_

"Peter?"

"— _Even if I have to chase you forever!—"_

He wouldn't stop _laughing!_

"— _ **You will PAY!—"**_

"Peter!"

I jerked back into reality at the sound of Moka's voice. She was giving me a slightly concerned look, eyeing me up and down. "Are you alright?" she asked.

I glanced away, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just…"

Just remembering the worst night of my life.

Even the symbiote could remember it. I could feel a faint spike of emotion from the alien. It had been quiet up until now, but the memories had stirred it. Though it was in a different way, the symbiote was also affected that night. After a few seconds, it settled down and returned to watching the campsite.

This conversation was beginning to take me down a road I had no intention of revisiting. Telling Moka that something actually happened was one thing, but going into details was another thing entirely. Moka seemed to understand this, because she looked away from me with a downcast expression. "I am sorry," she said quietly. "I did not realize that I was opening old wounds by asking."

"It's…fine," I replied, wiping away a little moisture that had collected in my eyes. "But can we not talk about this right now? I don't really want to get into details…"

"Of course," she said with a nod. After that, neither of us bothered trying to keep the conversation alive. I was doing so out of a desire for a moment to myself, and Moka, if I had to guess, was being polite.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there, quietly pushing painful memories to the back of my mind, but I soon found myself blinking in slight confusion when the symbiote warned me of a bird that had fluttered behind Yukari's tent.

The logic clicked a second later. There were plant monsters already roaming around, and I was already beginning to suspect a witch, a being that regularly interacted with nature. Something as simple as a bird might not have been what it seemed.

"Hey, Moka," I began, noting the frown on her face as she looked at the campsite. "Did you notice—?"

"The bird? Yes. Given the earlier conversation about the possibility of a witch being behind all this…"

"I'll go check it out," I said automatically, silently thankful for a distraction. "Keep an eye out for anything else." Moka nodded and I briskly jogged over to the tents. As I did so, however, I heard the cawing of what sounded like a crow, somewhere in the trees.

 _I don't like this…_

A quick glance inside Yukari's tent revealed the girl to be sound asleep. When I stepped around to the back of her tent, I found the bird from earlier—another crow, it seemed—pecking at the ground. It looked up at me, cocking its head as it hopped backwards and ruffled its feathers. I raised an eyebrow before swinging my leg out and attempting to shoo the bird away. It let out an agitated caw, wildly flapping its wings, but refusing to take off.

I was considering just carrying it off when my eyes suddenly widened when a familiar tingling at the base of my skull went off. I jerked out of the way, just in time to see something shoot through the air where my head had been. The object buried itself in the ground, and I let out a quiet and confused 'huh' when I realized that the object was what looked like a _vine_.

I twisted around, just in time to see a giant plant monster—a Garigarious, if I remembered correctly—yank back the vine it had shot at me. However, the creature was far too slow to avoid getting dropkicked by a charging Moka. The vampire landed on her feet, while the Garigarious crashed into the ground somewhere in the distance.

That, however, did little to deter the group of Garigarious that were bursting out from amidst the trees. The hulking plants barreled through the underbrush as they split their attention between Moka and me. A part of the group broke off, heading towards the camp and I, while the rest continued their charge at the silver-haired girl, who I could see smirk as she faced the challenge without hesitation.

"Rise and shine girls!" I roared, hoping that the others weren't heavy sleepers. The black suit formed on my skin as I leapt forward to face the Garigarious at the head of the pack. I flipped forward while in the air, aiming the heel of my foot at the creature's head as I descended.

The hit connected, and the monster buckled under the force exerted. With the first Garigarious out of the way, I moved to the next lumbering creature, driving my elbow into its midsection. Some sort of chocked sound emitted from its mouth, and the plant keeled over. A final knee to its lower jaw knocked it down and out of the fight.

The third Garigarious was treated to a mouthful of webbing, effectively gluing its jaws shut. While it struggled to free itself, I dashed past it, shooting a web line into its side. With a powerful yank, I lobbed the Garigarious at another of its kind, which was trying to sneak up behind Moka while she kicked another of the monsters into a tree.

From the corner of my eye, I could see a confused Kurumu stumbling out of her tent, looking around wide-eyed as she took in the sight of her friends fighting giant plant monsters. Mizore was the next to shoot from her tent, her icy claws already drawn and prepared.

I only caught a glimpse of Yukari scrambling to exit her own tent before my spider-sense went off again, and I was forced to refocus on a Garigarious that was beginning to get too close for comfort. A quick kick to the side left the creature bending over at an awkward angle and collapsing to the ground, and freed me up to deal with the remaining monsters.

Moka was faring just as well as I was, from what I could see. Her kicks flung the Garigarious around like dolls, and the creatures literally could not touch her.

 _Huh, why do I even bother holding back against these things? They're just plants. I could be kicking field goals with them right about now._

I then reminded myself that practicing self-control when using my powers was always a good idea. Full-power blows were a definite no-no against normal people, and even against lots of my not-quite-normal opponents, full strength may have been just too much.

"The hell is going on here?!" Kurumu shouted from somewhere behind me.

"Good question!" I called back, head butting a relatively small Garigarious while jerking another off balance with a web line. The symbiote, meanwhile, mentally cheered as I brought my fist down on the gaping maw of another adversary. The alien, at the very least, was enjoying the adrenaline rush.

A series of ice spikes shot past me, embedding themselves in the body of the Garigarious that I was planning on attacking next. I glanced at Mizore and gave her a quick appreciative nod before pelting another advancing monster with impact webbing.

By the time Kurumu had flown into the fight, slashing at what remained of the enemy, it was practically over. Mizore had gotten a few more ice spikes in, but the fight couldn't have lasted for much longer than a minute, and it was just Moka and I for the first half or so. After the last of the Garigarious fell to the ground, courtesy of a long cut to the head from Kurumu's claws, we found ourselves standing knee-deep in the remains of the plants.

"Well," began Moka, flipping her hair as she stepped closer to the rest of us. "That was certainly…interesting."

"Agreed," I said, kneeling down next to an unmoving Garigarious. "Nothing like a little midnight gardening to get the blood flowing. Everybody okay?"

"I'm good," Kurumu mumbled, still looking around. "Confused, but I think I'll be fine."

"Same here," Mizore said softly, frowning as she kneeled down next to me and cocking her head. "What about you?"

"Fine here," I replied. I shot a questioning look at Moka, and she smirked, showing that she was okay. "What about you, Yukari?"

…

"Yukari?" I asked again, standing up as I looked around. "Where…?" The others glanced about as well as an uneasy silence settled over us.

 _Oh no. Oh no, no, no._

"I don't understand," Kurumu said hurriedly. "She was coming out of her tent when I ran over to help, I _saw_ her!"

I had to, but then where had she gone?

Kurumu yelped in surprise when I shot past her, sliding to my knees just outside Yukari's miniature tent as I peered inside. I blinked when I noticed that literally nothing looked out of place. A little messy, yes, but no signs of anything out of the ordinary going on.

"Damn it," Kurumu hissed as she looked over my shoulder into the tent. "Where could she have gone?"

"Nobody was watching the tents while we fought," Moka noted with a frown. "These plants may have very well been a distraction of sorts. Either Yukari was randomly chosen and kidnapped because someone figured she was an easy target, or they were specifically after her from the start."

I clenched by teeth, suppressing a growl.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid!_ I should have made a point to make sure I had seen _all_ the girls when the fight was starting. I got too focused on the plants and forgot to keep an eye on everyone and now Yukari was paying for it!

"We need to split up again," I began, standing up. "It'll increase our chances of finding her. Moka, take either Kurumu or Mizore with you. I'll take the other." I was fully confident in Moka's ability to protect whoever she went with. It was probably the only scenario that I could think of in which I was comfortable allowing our group to split up—we had both our strongest fighters out and ready to go.

"I'll go with you," Mizore said softly as she nudged me.

Moka raised an eyebrow. "Very well then. I suppose I will be taking the succubus along." Neither of them knew it, but I was starting to get the idea to suggest that very thing.

"Wait," said Kurumu. "Aren't I supposed to stick with Peter?"

"Technically," I began. "Yes. But think about it: you can fly, and I can web swing. If either of us wanted to, we can get a pretty decent bird's eye view. This is an emergency, so we need to spread out evenly. Too much mobility or power in one group leaves the other getting the short end of the stick."

The succubus understood pretty quickly and nodded. Whatever job was entailed by being Kurumu's guardian was beginning to matter less and less as I tried to just focus on finding Yukari.

In an attempt to find any other clues, I moved towards the back of the tent. Unfortunately, there were no footprints from what I could tell, and, again, no signs of a struggle. Was Yukari overpowered that fast that she didn't even have time to fight back?

I could see no immediate evidence, no obvious signs of anything. How had the girl just vanished like this?

"Peter, you and the snow woman go this way," said Moka, gesturing to the right. "Kurumu and I will go towards the left. I'll take a minute to see if I can find anything in the way of clues."

I had no better idea, so I merely nodded and turned to face her and Kurumu. "Good luck you two. Kurumu, stay close to Moka. Moka, don't let Kurumu leave your sight."

The two nodded and I turned to go, motioning of Mizore to follow. The dark woods seemed to taunt us as we approached, but I only glared straight into them. I was going to find that girl, and put a stop to whomever or whatever had taken her and the other people who had gone missing here.

And so help me, if whatever took Yukari had hurt her, it was going to answer to _me_.

 _Hang in there, Yukari. We're coming._

* * *

 _Later that night – Somewhere in the woods_

Mizore trailed closely behind me as I we moved through the trees at a brisk pace. We had found nothing that could lead us to Yukari yet, but in the few minutes we had been searching, I didn't expect to find too much right away. We'd need more time for that.

"Peter?" asked Mizore.

"What's up?"

"What do we plan on doing if we find Yukari?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "That depends. This could turn into a hostage situation. We might have to negotiate, or just plain rush in and try to rescue her. We'll figure it out when we find her." The snow woman nodded at the response. We continued on for another minute or so before we both paused as a new sound filled the area.

Crows. Their cawing was audible from here, and it was definitely more than one or two of them. Mizore and I glanced at each other.

"We should check it out," she said quietly. "It's better than stumbling blindly through the woods."

"Agreed," I said as I veered towards the source of the noise. I couldn't see the crows, but the cawing was enough to go off of. A few seconds of forcing our way through the various plants in our way led us closer to the crows, if the steadily increasing volume of their squawking was of any indication. However, we soon realized that there were more than just crows out here.

"You hear that?" I asked as I stopped. Next to me, Mizore nodded.

"Voices," she mumbled. "Female voices…" I couldn't make out what was being said just yet, but I could hear the faint sound of people talking. As Mizore had said, the voices were unmistakably female, but the crows made it a little more difficult to accurately make out what was being said.

Bending lower to the ground, I allowed the black suit to envelop me for increased stealth. Slowly, I began edging forward, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. The voices grew clearer, and it wasn't too long before we could start making out the words over the occasional sounds the crows were making.

"—anning to destroy our hill, our _home_ ," spat a voice I didn't recognize. "They barge in here, claiming our land as their own, all for some factory. They'll butcher our garden, this beautiful work of nature, all to help mass produce their goods! Tell me, what part of that is fair? They destroy what others love in order to get what _they_ crave! Why _wouldn't_ I defend my home from them?"

I glanced at Mizore during the second of silence that followed. Whoever this person was talking to was either unresponsive or making nonverbal gestures.

"But the three of us, together, can drive them back," continued the voice. "We can put an end to these humans; teach them to respect us and to keep their filthy hands off of what is not theirs! You're a witch; you _must_ know what I'm talking about. You must understand that humans are the enemy!"

A witch? Was she talking to—?

"Help us, Yukari. All we have to do is carry out my master's orders, and everything will be alright. We'll live together here, the three of us, in peace, among nature, and away from the human scum."

"Yukari," Mizore whispered.

My eyes narrowed. This person _was_ targeting Yukari. And from the sound of things, this person was a witch. Thankfully, though, it sounded like a young witch. Youth implied less experience. Witches weren't natural-born S-Class monsters, they could only attain that power through constant work and training, which could take years.

"T-Together?" asked a new, timid voice. A voice that I instantly recognized as Yukari's.

"Yes! There's nothing stronger than the bond of kinship between witches, Yukari. You'd be among those who would call you family."

"What are we going to do?" Mizore asked quietly.

"I…I don't know," I replied, just as quietly. If we walked out, Yukari might be taken hostage by this other witch to keep us back. But if we stayed here, who knew where this new witch would lead Yukari?

Mizore frowned. "Think fast. We don't have much time."

I hesitated. "I know." I knew something had to be done, but the question was what? "There are risks involved with both staying here and going out there…" But, at the same time, going out there at least provided us with a chance to take down this new threat. We might be able to stop her before anything happened, but at the same time, Yukari would be in more immediate danger if we showed up.

On the other hand…staying here allowed this witch the chance to fill Yukari's head with whatever she wanted, and from what I could hear, the conversation was already going in a bad direction.

A second sigh escaped me. "Follow me," I said as I began to move. "Don't attack just yet."

Mizore nodded and copied my movements as I stood up and slowly walked forward. I heard a sharp inhale when our movements began loud enough to be heard, and the moment I was out of the bushes, I had my hands up in a defensive gesture.

The sight that greeted me was a surprised Yukari standing next to an older girl holding a wooden staff—or was it a wand?—topped by a purple gem. Dark pink eyes narrowed at me the moment I was in sight, and her arm shot up, pointing her staff-slash-wand at me.

"Yukari," barked the girl. "I thought you said you didn't—"

"I didn't tell them!" Yukari exclaimed, earning a raised eyebrow and a confused look from me.

"Tell us what?" Mizore slowly asked from behind me. The girl's arms were also held up in a defensive gesture to show as little hostility as possible.

Yukari hesitated, glancing at the older witch, whose angry eyes remained on us. After another moment, Yukari gestured to the girl next to her and fidgeted nervously. "R-Ruby contacted me…"

My eyes shifted to 'Ruby' and back to Yukari as she continued. "She wanted to talk to me—alone."

"And what part of that called for storming our camp with angry plant monsters?" I asked suspiciously. "And when did she even contact you?"

"She came to me as a crow," Yukari said quietly. "The one you shooed away from behind my tent." I frowned. I had a feeling something was off about that bird. Turns out, it was a witch. Go figure. "She was talking through the tent when you came along, but she didn't get enough time to really explain. She said she'd send her plants to distract you guys and to give me a chance to slip away so that we could talk in private. She promised that she wouldn't command her plants to hurt you guys, only keep you busy."

 _That vine to the head would have hurt if I hadn't dodged it._

"Why did we need to be kept busy?" Mizore asked.

"You'd never have allowed her to come," Ruby cut in, still glaring at us. "If she had asked you, you would never have allowed her to come alone—you would have insisted on coming with her. I do not know you, I do not trust you, and I did not want to meet you. Yukari was the only one who I could trust."

"Why, because you're both witches?" I asked.

"Precisely," answered Ruby. "The bond of kinship is powerful, and enough to create peace between two strangers under these circumstances."

That…I guess that made some sense. Ruby didn't exactly have any reason to believe that we weren't here to hurt her. Yukari was at least a witch, so Ruby must have thought they could relate.

"Coming here was dangerous," Mizore chided in her usual calm tone, looking to Yukari.

"I-I didn't know what to do!" Yukari cried while Ruby still glared at us. "She just told me she'd send the plants to distract you guys and for me to come out and meet up with her! She found me as I left and brought me here. I didn't know what would happen if I didn't come along, so I decided I'd meet her. There wasn't enough time for me to ask questions."

I looked right back at the older witch. "Well, you got Yukari here. Now what?"

She turned her nose up at us. "Now what? Now you leave. Take your little group, and leave our hill. This land is for the witches, not for anyone else. Leave or perish." Ruby turned to Yukari, her expression softening as she held her hand out. "But you…you'refamily. You _belong_ here with us. Stay here, Yukari. Together, we'll live with my master, and we'll make the humans pay for what they did to our home and to our kind!"

 _I don't like the sound of that at all…_

Yukari, meanwhile, looked between Mizore, Ruby, and me. She was visibly hesitating as her eyes darted about. Ruby's expression was expectant; she was clearly waiting for Yukari to stay with her. I, for one, was against that. Given this place's history, I could only assume that this witch and her master were more sinister than one would believe at first glance.

"Yukari," I began. "This place is dangerous. People have gone missing here, remember? Something is _wrong_ with this place."

Ruby shot me an angry look but her gaze quickly returned to Yukari. "They were only human. They tortured us in the past, remember? Their kind hunted us like animals. They deserve it."

 _So this is about revenge, huh? So have this girl and her master been sending those plants to—_

A memory suddenly hit me. A memory of the woman who was on the verge of being eaten by the monstrous plants that lived here. She had only survived because we had stopped those plants, but we hadn't been here when the other eighteen people went missing. But those other people…if Ruby was the one controlling the plants, then…

"You killed them," I said quietly staring at Ruby with wide eyes. "The people who go missing here—you send those plants after them."

The witch frowned. "They're only human. They plan on destroying our land, forcing us out of our home. I'm defending the only safe haven I have in this world."

"But those were _innocent people_ whose lives you put an end to. Sightseers, tourists, people who had nothing to do with the planned development."

Ruby snorted. "They were anything but innocent. The human race is guilty of more crimes than they even care to number. Murder, torture, genocide— _they're_ the real monsters. And now they're trying to destroy our home to build their factory on it. I, for one, will defend my land, as my master commands."

I could only stare in shock, slowly shaking my head in disbelief. There was no way I could let Yukari stay with this girl.

"Yukari," I said, a sense of urgency creeping into my voice. "Are you hearing this? Do you hear what she's saying?"

Ruby turned to Yukari. "Of course she does. And she understands." A soft smile grew on Ruby's face as she looked at Yukari—though the expression did little to comfort me. "You must. Your ancestors were there when our kind was being murdered. You ancestors were among the innocent witches that the humans slaughtered."

The younger of the two witches shifted from foot to foot, visibly torn between looking at Ruby and me.

"Those plants that we fought earlier," I cut in. "The ones that were trying to eat that woman—they attacked _us_ too. The person on the verge of being eaten by those things could have just as easily been you, or Moka, or any of us."

"But it wasn't," Ruby snapped. "You—"

"Is this what you really want?" I asked, completely ignoring Ruby as I gave Yukari a more concerned look. "To spend the rest of your life watching people die? Do really you want to stay here with the sole purpose of killing anybody who comes here?"

"Don't fall into his trap," Ruby whispered. "He's not a witch; he can't possibly understand what's best for you. He doesn't _know_ you. He and the others will never care for you like her Ladyship and I will."

"Moka risked her life to save you from your loneliness," I said. "She did everything she could to understand you, even when you were playing your pranks. You were like a lost little sister to her."

"Don't listen to him," Ruby insisted. Yukari kept looking between us, her expression growing more and more distressed. "I'm your friend now, your _real_ friend. They don't understand your feelings, but I do. My master does too."

"You know that's not true," I said. "Don't let your argument with Kurumu define your experience with us; you _know_ we care about you!"

The younger witch stepped back, cradling her head in her hands as her breathing hitched.

"Stay with me," Ruby said sweetly, inching closer to Yukari.

"She's a _killer!_ " I pressed. "Don't—"

"Enough!" Yukari screamed, stumbling back. "Stop it, both of you! I can't take this anymore!"

Ruby and I both stiffened, surprised by Yukari's outburst. I could hear Mizore inhale sharply at the younger girl's reaction. The only noise that we could hear for the next few seconds was Yukari's panting as the witch's head bowed down and faced the ground. Finally, she looked up at Ruby before taking a shaky breath.

"I can't," she whispered. "I can't stay here. I've got too much at the academy. I can't just drop it all."

Ruby gasped, a fearful expression crossing her face. "Y-You're leaving? You're choosing them over me? Over your own kind? They're not even wit—"

"I know," Yukari interrupted as she straightened out and gulped. "I know they're not like me, but that doesn't change the fact that they're my friends. I can't walk away like this."

The elder witch shook her head in disbelief, taking a nervous step back. "You can't…you were supposed to stay here, with _me_ ," she whispered in shock.

Yukari, seeing Ruby's obvious distress, was quick to try and reassure her. "Wait, wait, wait! We can work this out! This whole thing with your hill, the humans, all of it! Ruby we can figure something out!"

Ruby's head hung low, her fists trembling and her knuckles turning white as she gripped her wand. Suddenly, she whirled around, looking at me with absolute fury. "YOU!" she screeched. "This is all _your_ fault! You polluted her mind with your lies!" I jerked in surprise when six wings burst from Ruby's back, while two more grew atop her head. She took to the air and swung her wand around, pointing the glowing, gem-tipped end at me. "Devour him!"

I watched as several smaller versions of the previous plant monsters sprung from the trees and bushes behind Ruby. The symbiote was instantly ready, the excitement of battle already beginning to form in its mind. My spider-sense went wild, but before I could move, a blast of freezing cold air passed by next to me. The world momentarily turned white as what felt like a snowstorm exploded into existence in front of me. A second later, it faded, and I was treated to the sight of a handful of frozen Garigarious lying on the ground at a surprised Ruby's feet.

Mizore stepped up next to me, her icy claws drawn as she gave Ruby a blank look. "Don't touch him," she said evenly before glancing at me. "Are you alright?"

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," I said as I blinked at her in surprise.

 _I think my overprotective tendencies are infectious…_

"Ruby, stop!" Yukari screamed, jumping between us and spreading her arms out.

"Move Yukari!" ordered the other witch. "I will purge Witch Hill of these intruders and your mind of their lies!"

"No! I refuse to let you hurt them!" roared Yukari. "Even if you're a witch, even if we're of the same race, I won't forgive you for intentionally hurting them!"

Ruby floated there, dumbfounded as she looked down at Yukari. "I don't understand," she whispered. "How can your friendship with these non-witches mean more to you than your own species? Than being with your own kind?"

Yukari took a shaky breath. "It just does."

Tense seconds passed as the two stared off. Mizore and I stood ready for anything, and the symbiote waited in anticipation, prepared for the worst. A feeling of dread grew within me when I saw Ruby begin to shake, her face contorting in anger.

"I cannot accept this," she hissed before throwing her head back. "I cannot accept this!" She dove forward, using her wings as weapons as she swung them at me. I moved forward to intercept her, easily surpassing her in speed and reaction time. Her eyes could only widen when she found me directly in front of her, dodging the first swipe of her wing by with a quick and fluid evasive maneuver.

With my head safely below her wing, I lurched forward, driving my fist into her midsection, all while ensuring that I held back as usual. Ruby coughed as the air was forced from her lungs, and then grunted when I threw her aside. She landed on her hands and knees, sliding across the ground as she regained her balance. Her head snapped up, narrowed eyes meeting mine as she stood up.

The girl visibly gritted her teeth as she brandished her wand once more. "I will destroy you," she declared coldly.

Mizore was at my side before I could reply, gently sliding forward as she got in between Ruby and I. Yukari shot the older witch one last pleading look as Ruby pointed her want at us once more.

"Please, don't do this," she whispered.

"Don't interfere, Yukari," Ruby warned, her wings spreading out further. I noted that the tips glinted in the moonlight as though they were metal.

"Hey, do me a favor," I mumbled to Mizore as Ruby began calling in more of her Garigarious. "Take those plant monsters out of the picture and keep them off Yukari. I'll put Miss Scarlet Witch here to sleep and then we can deal with whatever else she called in." The snow woman hesitated, but nodded all the same. I gave her a quiet 'thank you' before stepping up to face Ruby, who had jumped into the air again.

"I will defend Witch Hill," she declared angrily. "And I will bring Yukari back with me. She belongs with us, not with _you_." She lifted her wand as she prepared to strike. "You are not welcome on my hill!"

I couldn't stop a smirk from playing across my lips. "I think the words you're looking for are 'you shall not pass'."

"Die!" Ruby roared, diving forward. I brought my fists up as the witch closed the distance between us in a flash, swinging blade-tipped wings at me. I moved forward to meet Ruby again, though this time, she was definitely more prepared. She jerked a second pair of wings at me at a different angle, aiming the blades at my body's center of mass.

What Ruby probably didn't expect, however, was the blast of webbing I shot at her face. She yelped in surprise when she suddenly found herself blinded. Her timed attack turned into blind swinging for a second as she made an attempt to ward me off while ripping the webbing off with her other blades. Unfortunately for her, the second was all I needed to vault over her, attaching a web line to her back and jerking her along with me.

She was lifted from her feet as I yanked on the webbing. "That was, what, strike two?" I asked as she landed on the ground. "Traditionally, you've got one more go so—"

My spider-sense went off as Ruby sprang up, jabbing at my side with her wings. The tips _almost_ buried themselves in my ribcage, but I managed to stretch out of the way at the last second. Ruby's eyes widened in surprise when she realized that I was unhurt. "How did you…?"

"And _that_ was strike three," I grinned. "Batter out." The surprised look on Ruby's face was replaced with alarm when I grabbed her, cocking my other arm back. Her wings began folding in an attempt to cover her front side as protection from the upcoming attack, but it was already too late. My arm rocketed forward, slamming into Ruby and launching her backwards. I could tell it was a knockout blow before she even hit the ground, her wand slipping out of her hand as her eyes rolled back.

The plants around us paused momentarily the moment Ruby was out of the fight. Mizore capitalized on the opportunity by firing ice spikes in all directions, effectively impaling well over half the plants present while they couldn't react. The remaining few found themselves blasted by a freezing gust of wind that sent them tumbling into the trees.

As the last of the enemy was defeated, I took around our little battlefield. Mizore looked unharmed, but Yukari looked broken. After seeing Ruby have her little breakdown, I could only imagine how the younger of the two witches must have felt.

I walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She swallowed quietly as she looked at Ruby. Mizore walked up next to me, nudging me and mouthing the words 'you okay' at me. I nodded silently and turned to look back at Ruby. The dark-haired girl lied unconscious in the middle of the small clearing we had been in, her chest steadily rising and falling. I frowned as I looked down at her.

 _Now then…what to do with you?_

* * *

 **A/N:** _I'm getting a slightly weird vibe from this chapter. I don't think I'm used to writing this many action sequences. Also, finally cutting back to 10k(ish) word chapters._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Peter's Memories:** _Make of them what you will, but I'm guessing some of you probably have a decent idea of what he's remembering._

 **Peter vs. Ruby:** _This fight could have gone a lot faster if Peter tried harder, but he drew out the fight to give the symbiote some extra adrenaline (and to give you guys something more interesting than a one-shot victory). On top of that, Peter makes a point to hold back, especially when fighting a new opponent because he could literally break Ruby's neck with one hit if he doesn't actively restrain himself. The length of the fight, at least to me, felt like a decent mix of Peter holding back, Peter being careful (as in, not getting overconfident and dragging it out for TOO long), and Peter giving the symbiote a little extra time to feed on the adrenaline._

 **Losing Yukari:** _Peter's an observant guy, but even he can become too focused on a fight. The symbiote obviously keeps an eye on enemies and enjoys the rush of adrenaline, and Yukari timed her exit with the attacking plants in order to get away. Put all that together, and she has a decent chance of escaping unnoticed while everyone is focused on the fight._

 **Ruby:** _Her hatred of humans and her assumption that the main gang was human seemed to be part of the reason she attacked them in canon, but remember, Ruby is still a killer. I honestly think she'd still have snapped and attacked Peter and Mizore, even if they showed they weren't human. Not to mention that, in the anime, even after she learned they weren't human, she tried killing them anyway._

 **No Human City:** _I mixed the anime and manga versions of this arc a little, and decided that I'd keep the gang at Witch Hill. Taking them to the human city felt as though it would introduce a scenario with less opportunities for action, and it would be weird having them come all the way back for whatever reasons._

 **The Two Women:** _They showed up in the manga version of Ruby's arc, and acted as something of an intro to the plant monsters and gave Ruby a chance to see some of Yukari's power as a witch._


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover at involved with this story._

 **Drunkle Qrow:** _Thanks._

 **mario986:** _I'm not sure yet._

 **Bob of the A:** _Yeah, the human/monster interactions that were explored in Ruby's arc during the manga were a more unique twist, so I'm hoping the fact that this takes place in a mixed Marvel/Rosario universe can make things all the more interesting._

 **Ghost Rider-SpiritOfVengeance:** _We really are. I think it's been asked, but I'm still wondering if I should have them know about Yōkai Academy. So, no concrete answer yet._

 **seem14:** _Why, because it's so unexpected? :)_

 **Tobias97:** _I'm glad I could brighten your 'moot' :P_

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Hope it pleases!_

 **Locothehood:** _You read my mind about the webbing part._

 **Red Rain17:** _Ah, that makes sense. Poor Moka wouldn't handle it well._

 **AlexCephon:** _I'm waiting for the perfect opportunity to write that in. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten it._

 **Catter the Mad:** _Yeah, Ruby's mindset is pretty similar to the humans who hunter her ancestors, ironically enough. Also: *claps* That was brilliant. I was grinning ear to ear when I read that._

 **theallaroundnerd:** _Glad you liked it. I was thinking the master could be the Wicked Witch of the West, but yours works too. Oh, and your prediction about when this chapter will be out was off by about a week, but that's okay._

 **Server lock:** _I sent you a PM regarding the Ruby versus Peter issue, so check your inbox. In regards to Ruby's hostility, I didn't have her immediately attack because Peter also showed off his powers, so she assumed he wasn't human. But of course, as typical of me, I forgot to add that in at the bottom of last chapter. I'll get around to it soon. Peter doesn't really play around with an opponent, it's more like he takes things a little slower to feed the symbiote. And Yukari caught him off guard because she was so young and yet still able to fight._

 **Zboy2:** _Glad you liked it! I'm trying to remember to have Peter joke around a little more, but last chapter was a slightly more serious one because Yukari was missing._

 **Alex:** _Really? Huh, I never knew there was another one. I guess it got taken down before I checked this category out. Oh well. Anyway, I'm glad you're liking my writing so far (I'm a guy, by the way), and I hope it continues to entertain! I can't remember who asked, but when it comes to long series, from any culture, I just read/watch until I'm bored. I might regain interesting, but I think I binge-watched an entire series in a few days once, but with other series, I just wasn't interested enough to get past a few episodes. With shorter series, I sometimes go back and reread/re-watch certain arcs, but with the longer ones, I typically avoid doing that. I'm not that big on reading manga—I prefer to watch the animation—but for some series, it's better to see both. Rosario + Vampire is one such example._

 **Guest:** _Thanks! Yeah, your logic is identical to mine._

 **Rufael:** _Happy to hear that!_

 **Croniklerx/Arachnophile801:** _Check that inbox._

 **Guest (November 13):** _Hmm, that's a cool idea, though I'm not sure how I'd write that. We'll see._

 **coldblue:** _Alright, starting off, Inner Moka wasn't surprised that Peter experienced life, she was just a taken a little off guard that his reasoning for being so protective was as painful as he made it seem. Mizore and Peter talk a little more this chapter, but given the scenario, it's going to be a little while before the cast can start chatting again as usual. Yeah, I agree that Yukari currently has a lot of knowledge but not that much experience/raw power. She is still a young girl after all. Personally, I can understand how/why Yukari could develop an eventual crush on Peter, but I have no intention of actually exploring that—it's too weird for me. Inner Moka definitely does seem interested, but so far, it's more curiosity than romance. Ruby is actually a fairly powerful witch; Peter's just stronger. No then, onto your questions: 1 )I'm not sure yet. So far, I'm basing her powers on the manga/anime. 2) Hmm, that sounds unique, though she has stated that her specialty is manipulating plants, so I'm not sure how proficient she'll be at mind games. 3) Maybe… 4) I'm still working that part out. 5) Telling you that would spoil it, now wouldn't it? :) As usual, awesome suggestions (I particularly like the ones about Ruby using her crows to keep an eye on things at Yōkai), and I might use some of them. Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy the chapter!_

 **Xample:** _Thanks!_

 **ATK-49:** _Glad to hear it's coming off nicely._

 **sertry:** _:)_

 **Guest (November 27):** _Oh gosh, a daddy's girl Carnage sounds hilariously weird._

 **Rob the Robot 2. 0:** _Well I can't exactly tell you that without spoiling it, now can I? :)_

 **A/N:** _I know some of you are probably rolling your eyes at my tardiness (correction: at my absurdly slow updates), but this time, I had a legit reason for taking forever—more than one legit reason, actually. The first being that, due to Thanksgiving, I had to spend a few days away and could not write, which took time away from working on this. Second, in an attempt to actually create a believable Ruby arc and to give you guys a slightly unique spin on things, I experimented with various outlines for this chapter and any others regarding this arc, so it took extra planning to get this done. However, here I am, late, but present, and still writing._

 **THIS IS A MANGA-BASED CHAPTER. NON-ANIME ELEMENTS WILL BE PRESENT!**

* * *

 **-Chapter 18: The Witch Way-**

It was truly amazing how much the light of day could improve one's mood. We had not only made it through our first night here, but we had also brought Yukari back safely and without injuries. She was still a little shaken from seeing Ruby attack us, but she was otherwise unharmed. And on top of that, we had learned more about the danger of this hill. No longer were we fearing some mysterious force that could take the shape of anything our imaginations permitted. Now, we actually had an idea of what we were up against. A witch was unpredictable, yes, but knowing that it was a witch narrowed things down to the point where it wasn't an 'it could by anything'-type situation. Not to mention the fact that Yukari and Kurumu seemed to have completely forgotten their arguments from the previous days. And to top it all off, the symbiote's hunger had been sated by all the fighting of the previous day.

Needless to say, things were starting to look up.

"Ughmmf…"

Unfortunately, however, a certain witch wasn't sharing in my heightened mood.

Ruby was having a bad dream. That much was obvious. She was tossing and turning—and occasionally groaning—and her face was covered in a layer of sweat, all while she kept mumbling something. We couldn't make out what she was saying, mostly because of the webbing that I had placed over her mouth. We didn't need her waking up and screaming like a banshee the moment she did so.

"She's been like this for a good minute or two," Yukari said quietly, looking at Ruby. "I wasn't sure what to do, so I called you guys…"

Ruby had been asleep for several hours now. Morning had already come and gone, giving way to noon and afternoon as the sun climbed higher in the sky. A quick examination by Yukari had revealed that the only injuries Ruby had sustained were superficial—bruises at the very worst. Besides her, nobody had been physically hurt. Yukari herself was understandably shaken up after seeing Ruby break down like she had, but she had been adamant about staying by the older witch's side.

However, Ruby's peaceful sleep apparently turned to this tossing and turning we were seeing, and Yukari had decided to call the rest of us in to check it out.

"Should we wake her up?" Moka asked as she watched Ruby squirm. "That doesn't look healthy."

"No kidding," Kurumu mumbled. I frowned as I looked down. Was it a good idea to wake someone up during a nightmare? I couldn't quite remember…

"I—"

My planned statement was cut off when Ruby's eyes suddenly shot open, growing wide in fear. She stared up unblinkingly at the top of the tent we were standing in, breathing heavily as she recovered from her nightmare.

"Well," I began. "I think that solves that."

The sound of my voice had Ruby turning to me in confusion. A second later, her eyes narrowed in recognizing and she tried bolting upright, the hostility evident on her face.

Except Ruby quickly realized that moving was more difficult than she expected it to be.

Her gaze jerked to her hands, which were bound together in front of her by webbing. She attempted to move her feet, but soon discovered that they too were bound by webbing. She looked back to me in outrage before finally taking notice of the others in the tent. Her struggling ceased for only a moment before she made a last attempt at ripping through the webbing through sheer strength.

I smiled down at her. "Yeah, don't bother. That stuff's not going to rip anytime soon."

After walking back and forth every hour or so and replacing the dissolving webbing with new layers, that stuff had _better_ hold.

Ruby seemed to yell something at us, but the webbing covering her mouth muffled it beyond comprehension. I sighed and leaned forward. "Listen up," I began when she turned to me. "I'm going to remove the webbing around your mouth, and I'm going to need you to _not_ scream and shout and let it all out, alright? Can you do that for me?"

Her glare only intensified but she slowly nodded all the same. At the gesture, I placed my hand on the webbing, allowing the symbiote to reabsorb it. As the webbing faded, Ruby slowly worked her jaw as though testing it. Satisfied that it wasn't damaged, she frowned at me.

"Why was I tied up?" she asked heatedly. "You didn't do anything to me, did you?"

I gave her a blank stare. "Why were you tied up?" I parroted, sarcasm evident in my voice. "Oh, you know, there was this small issue of you trying to murder me last night. Kinda made me a little nervous about what you might try in the future, you know?"

"Tch!" Ruby snapped, turning away from me. I, meanwhile, glanced at the others.

"Well, she's not pronouncing curses on me or anything, so I guess we're off to a good start," I said with a shrug.

"Oh trust me," Ruby began. "If I had my wand, I'd have blasted you into the cliff side by now."

"…Lovely," I mumbled. Apparently, I was still number one at making people hate me. Good to know I hadn't lost my touch. "Any other wonderful fantasies you want to share, or was killing me the only one?"

"Where's my wand?" Ruby asked, completely ignoring me.

"Safe," said Yukari, gaining the older girl's attention. "I made sure to store it away. It's undamaged."

Ruby frowned before her head began jerking around as she took in her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"Let's back up for a minute," I cut in. "You've been out for a while now. You hungry? Thirsty? We've got food and drink."

"I don't care for your provisions," Ruby barked. "Now, where are we?"

 _Yeesh, this is what I get for trying to show a little concern._

"In one of our tents," said Kurumu, crossing her arms. "We brought you here after last night's little fiasco." Ruby grunted and made another attempt to sit up straight. However, the webbing on her hands and feet prevented her from getting any real balance. She shot me an annoyed look from the floor.

I only offered her a shrug in return. Binding her was only a precaution. I was fully aware of how much a witch depended on her equipment during a fight, especially her wand, but seeing as Ruby had tried to kill me last night, leaving her without some sort of restraint felt a little risky until we figured out what to do.

Ruby scoffed but leaned back down. "So," she began bitterly. "What now? Did you wait for me to wake up so that I'd be awake for when you killed me?"

"Kill you?!" Moka gasped in horror. "Who said anything about killing?"

The witch's eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion as she glanced between all of us. Finally, her gaze settled on me. "I tried to kill you yesterday," she said quietly. "Do you expect me to believe that you don't want revenge?"

"To be fair, half the people in this tent have tried to kill me," I said with a shrug. "I'm actually pretty used to it." I smirked when I noticed Kurumu blush, while Moka and Yukari both gave Mizore a blank look. The snow woman blinked at them before frowning.

"I never tried to kill him," she said in her usual quiet, calm tone.

"Okay, two people here have tried to kill me, and the third tried to freeze me for eternity," I said with a wave of my hand. "You get the point."

Ruby watched us carefully, her lips pressed together in a thin line. "So why am I here?"

"We couldn't just leave you in the woods," Moka said gently.

The witch continued on with her suspicious glare before clicking her tongue. "I tried to kill one of you last night, and now you're telling me you're trying to take care of me? What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"It's called decency," Kurumu grumbled.

Ruby snorted. "So what are you guys?" she asked, looking between us. "The purple-haired one is a snow woman, right? I saw her using ice against my plants." Mizore nodded wordlessly to answer Ruby's question. "And Yukari's a witch…what about the rest of you?" Ruby continued.

"Monsters from Yōkai Academy," said Moka.

"Monsters?" Ruby asked. "And from Yōkai Academy? If that's true, why are you out here?"

"Funny story, actually," I mumbled. "What started out as a research trip-slash-vacation turned into _this_. We were trying to figure out why people kept going missing here."

Ruby sneered. "Well, now you know. We're defending our home from the human scum. Nothing more, nothing less."

I leaned back. "We gathered as much. Tell us, though, is there anything else going on here? You've got an awful lot of those Garigarious things prancing around, and I assume planting killer weeds is more than just a hobby…"

"Our soldiers," said Ruby. "The plants help defend the hill. Humans foolish enough to get close often run back screaming if they hear the Garigarious' roar."

"Is that what's been going on this whole time?" Moka asked. "All those missing sightseers—were they people that wandered too far into your field?"

"Yes," Ruby growled. "Just stupid humans going where they shouldn't. We've been here for a while now, trying to live out our lives, but _no!_ The humans weren't satisfied with their cities and towns—they needed our field as well! Since they got it into their heads that they had the right to destroy my home, my master and I have been fighting to protect it."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I disagreed entirely with Ruby's methods, but she had a legitimate reason to be angry. And then there was this master of hers, whoever that was.

"Isn't there another way?" Yukari asked weakly. "I don't like humans much either, but…do you really want to live out the rest of your days as a murderer?"

"I will defend my home," declared the older girl. "Besides, the only ones I kill are humans."

" _Innocent_ humans," I corrected.

"It sends a message," Ruby growled. "The rest of their kind know to stay away. We may not be able to find the humans who tried to order the destruction of our home, but we will still show them what awaits them should they come to try anything."

"But is that the way you really want to live?" Yukari asked. "Killing anyone who gets too close?"

"What I _want_ ," Ruby spat, "is to live my life on Witch Hill. What I _want_ is to punish the humans! The only way to get those things is to kill the human bastards when they come barging in!"

"But what if you kill a monster or a witch?" whispered Yukari. "What if one just happened to wander in and get killed? Those plants attacked us too, remember! You didn't know what we were until after the Garigarious attacked!"

"Any monster could put up a fight against the Garigarious," said Ruby. "I'd be able to stop my plants before any serious damage was done. And if I couldn't interfere, my master would."

"Speaking of," I began. "Who is this mysterious master of yours? What exactly is her role in all this?"

Ruby hesitated. "Lady Oyakata," she said quietly after the moment of pause, her eyes drifting to the ground. "The witch who raised me. She taught me nearly everything I know."

 _Considering your attitude towards humans, I'm going to assume that this Oyakata lady taught you a thing or two about hate._

Agreement. The symbiote silently suggested that Ruby's master had equal—or greater—hatred for humankind than Ruby herself did. The girl in question, meanwhile, turned to Yukari. "You could have stayed with us," she said quietly, shaking her head. "Why, Yukari? Why did the companionship of these people mean more to you than a sister witch?"

Yukari's expression softened and she swallowed quietly. "Ruby…I-I can't bring myself to kill people like you do. I'm no fan of humans, but murdering them on sight?" She shook her head. "I just can't do that. Besides…"

Yukari smiled and looked at Moka, before glancing at me, and finally—and surprisingly—at Kurumu. "These were the first people to accept me. I couldn't just turn my back on them."

Ruby bit her lip at the younger girl's response. Silence reigned for several seconds as we stood there, waiting for someone to say something. You could have heard a pin drop during those moments.

And so it was all the more awkward when a low rumbling sounded off in the tent.

Ruby immediately turned beet-red as she glared down at her stomach, which continued on for another second as it cried for food. I couldn't stop myself from snickering not-so-subtly at the sound, and judging by the giggling that soon accompanied me, the girls couldn't either. The only ones who had managed to hold their laughter were Mizore, who only smiled quietly, and Ruby, who seemed too busy fighting down her blush to laugh.

"So then," I began as my laughter subsided. "The offer for food still stands…"

* * *

 _Later that day…_

Ruby's bindings had come off a little while after her stomach announced her hunger. Yukari had convinced me to remove them as a show of goodwill and to help Ruby see that we had no ill intentions. I agreed with the younger of the two witches after a good deal of time spent contemplating the idea because, all things considered, we couldn't hand Ruby over to the local authorities, and until the bus driver returned— _if_ he returned—we were the only people she'd have contact with.

And while the idea of setting a killer loose in our camp didn't exactly sit well with me, the responsibility of putting an end to this still fell on our shoulders, and I'd much rather show her that we weren't hostile and possibly get on good terms and work out a peaceful solution than resort to violence. I typically left the judgment of criminals to the authorities, but here, we were the ones who had to deal with the aftermath, and if that was the case, then connecting with the witch and working through this could very well be our best chance of putting an end to the killings.

So, Ruby had been set free, though we always had at least one person watching her like a hawk. Currently, Yukari and Moka were the ones who kept an eye on the witch. Regardless of how calm she seemed now, I wasn't just going to forget her attempt at killing me last night.

"What do you think?" asked Mizore as she sat down on the ground next to me. "What are we going to do about Ruby?"

I flipped a page in the book on monster plants that I had been reading while taking a bite out of my scrambled eggs. "I'm…not entirely sure yet," I said after chewing. "We've got a few options, but I'm still figuring out which will work best."

Mizore nodded quietly while gnawing on her lollipop. "We haven't talked much since the thing with Kotsubo," she said after a moment.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I mumbled awkwardly. "I've sorta had my hands full since you came back, what with the man-eating plants and all."

The snow woman giggled quietly before glancing down at my hand. "You still have my ring."

"Of course," I said with a smile. "Haven't taken it off since you gave it to me." Mizore hummed to herself and scooted slightly closer to me while propping her chin up on her palms.

"So is this the kind of stuff you and your club usually get into?" she asked.

"Nah, there's usually a notable lack of being ditched out in the middle of nowhere."

Mizore giggled and smiled at me. "Good to know. If I'm going to be sticking around, I'd like to think I don't have to worry about regularly ending up on haunted hills."

"You're going to stick around after this?" I asked. "I thought the teachers would be the ones to decide that, after we've dealt with the Wicked Witch of the West."

The purple-haired girl frowned. "I don't care what they decide. I want to stay. Besides, I honestly can't think of a better person to be around—you've already cleared my name and fought off Kotsubo with me. I can't imagine the teachers can find someone more suitable for me."

"Oh stop it, you're making me blush," I laughed. I glanced up for another second, just to check up on Ruby, who was still talking to Yukari. "Hey, have you noticed Ruby's attitude towards Yukari?"

Mizore blinked and looked over at the girls in question. After a second, she nodded. "She seems more…open with her," the snow woman mumbled. "I guess it's a witch thing."

"Probably," I said as I watched the two. "Ruby kept telling Yukari that she could live with her and her master, and how the three of them would be able to stay at Witch Hill. Take Yukari out of the equation, and it seems as though Ruby's been here alone with this master of hers, and I'm going to guess that it's been that way for a while now."

"She's lonely," Mizore summarized. "She wants another witch to talk to. Maybe she can't relate to her master as much as she can to Yukari?"

"Maybe," I nodded. "But the fact that she's still this relatively open with Yukari after all that's happened so far speaks volumes of how much she wanted to get her to stay."

And that could very well be our key to putting an end to Ruby's killing. If she truly wished for another witch to call a friend this badly, Yukari could potentially fill that role, and possibly talk some sense into her, and a peaceful solution might actually be reached. Of course, Yukari had probably figured this out too—she was a smart girl. I had no doubt that she had been working to make peace between Ruby and the rest of our group since they began talking.

Speaking of which, I was interested in finding out if she had made any progress. That, and I wanted to hear how Ruby was faring. "Hey," I began, turning to Mizore. "Give me a minute. I'm going to go check up on Yukari and Ruby."

Mizore frowned but nodded. I set my plate and book aside and hopped up, gently cracking my stiff neck. I strolled over to the two witches as they ate and talked quietly atop a log. They glanced up as I approached, and while Yukari smiled and waved, Ruby's eyes narrowed and she turned away. Yukari cast a hesitant look at her before turning back to me.

"Hey Peter, did you need something?" she asked.

"Yeah, can we talk for a minute?"

 _Symbiote, keep an eye on Ruby for a bit, will ya?_

Affirmation.

I silently thanked my partner while Yukari got up, telling Ruby to wait before walking over to me. "What's up?" she asked.

I kneeled down next to her. "How are things going with Ruby?" I asked quietly. "How is she?"

Yukari hesitated. "She's doing good. Ever since we started talking, I've been telling her that we don't have to be enemies. I mean, I'm more than willing to be her friend, but I just can't stomach the idea of living here and killing anybody that gets too close. I've told Ruby that there has to be some other way, that we can work something out, but she's still pretty skeptical, and I'm pretty sure she still doesn't trust you guys."

"That's probably an understatement," I chuckled. "But given that I sorta knocked her unconscious during our first meeting, I don't blame her."

The little witch sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, but there's not much we can do about that now. The only thing we _can_ do is prove to her that we're not the enemy. I think she'll open up eventually if she knows that."

Ruby's coming, the symbiote whispered mentally. Doesn't look hostile…

 _Got it, thanks._

I looked up at Ruby as she stopped a few feet behind Yukari. "Oh, hello honey, did you enjoy the meal?" I asked.

Yukari blinked and turned around when I addressed Ruby. The elder witch, meanwhile, glared at me. "Do not speak to me as if we are familiar. You and I are not friends. I do not trust you, I do not know you."

"…so was that a yes or a no?" I asked with a smirk.

Ruby shut her eyes and sighed. "Tell me, why are you people still here? Yukari says you are here investigating the disappearances of those who have come here before you, but now that you know what's going on, what's the point in staying?"

"Why, we're enjoying the scenery, of course. Couldn't you tell?" I shot back with a smile. Ruby gave me an annoyed look, prompting me to chuckle. "Let's answer your question with another question: what's the point in investigating all this if we're not going to try and fix it? We know what's going on now; great, time to do something about it."

"Do what, exactly?" Ruby asked suspiciously. "Yukari says we don't have to be enemies, and that our first meeting simply went very poorly. Why, pray tell, should I not think of you as my enemy?"

"For one, _you_ attacked _me_ ," I replied, crossing my arms. "I would have been perfectly fine with coming to a peaceful solution. I find that hugging it out really helps too." Ruby growled quietly at that, which only elicited another quiet chortle from me. "But seriously, we don't have to fight. I mean, we took you in while you were unconscious, fed you, gave you water—"

"Tied me down," Ruby added under her breath.

"Okay, for the record," I began. "You tried killing me a few hours before I tied you down. I just wanted to make sure you didn't try anything again. And look, you're already free."

The witch hesitated before glancing to the side. "You still didn't tell me what you planned on doing."

"Well, I'm not entirely sure yet," I said. "But, the way I see it, we've got two problems: the planned destruction of your home, and your method of preventing it."

"And why does the destruction of my home suddenly matter to you?" asked Ruby. "You said you were investigating the sightseers' deaths. Why does the fate of my hill suddenly matter?"

"Well, I thought you were going to be some grouchy old lady with murderous tendencies," I admitted with a shrug. "I was expecting someone a little more…insane. You've actually got a reason to kill, though I still don't support it. From what I can tell, the root of the problem is that your home is under the threat of destruction. Fix that problem, and you've got no reason to kill, right?"

Of course, there would then be the matter of figuring out what to do with Ruby herself. Reason or not, those were innocent people she murdered, and she had to answer for that. A change of heart would probably also bring crushing guilt with it though, once she realized what she had been doing. Not to mention the fact that we had to ensure that she didn't revert to her violent ways again.

Luckily, however, I think I had a plan.

" _Fix_ it?" Ruby snorted incredulously. "You think you can provide a solution just like that? One where everyone lives and walks away happy? I didn't think you could be this naïve."

"Actually, Ruby," began Yukari, speaking up for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "I sorta had this idea regarding your home…"

The older witch turned to the younger with a curious look on her face. "You do?"

"Yeah, I, uh, I haven't had the chance to mention it yet," said Yukari. "And I wanted to talk it over with the others, but…why not come back to Yōkai Academy with us?"

I blinked. What a coincidence. I had the same idea. Taking Ruby to Yōkai would give her a home, and hopefully eliminate any reason she had for killing. She'd also have access to counseling or any other help she might need, and, on top of that, she'd be far away from most humans.

 _Great minds think alike, I guess. I almost forgot that Yukari scored as high as me on the exams._

Ruby gave us a blank stare, her eyes switching between Yukari and me. "Y-You want me to come back? With you? And I am expected to just leave my home and come with you? You want me to abandon Witch Hill just like that?"

"Think about it," Yukari said, holding her hands out in a peaceful gesture. "It's just that, at Yōkai, I…I think you could find happiness. You'd have a home, someplace far from humans that would destroy your land, and you could stay with monsters until you're ready to go back out to the human world. And maybe your master could be a teacher at the school or something."

"But this hill is my home," Ruby mumbled, though there was a notable lack of hostility in her voice this time. "A land long-owned by witches. How could I just leave? And my master? She'd never agree to abandon the hill!"

"Well we can't just leave you here," I cut in, crossing my arms. "More people will die, and that's not gonna work for me."

"Then it appears we're at an impasse," Ruby said with a frown. "You don't want to see anybody else die, and I refuse to watch my hill burn at the hands of humans."

I watched her for a moment. Ruby's eyes were glued to the ground, her anger and distrust seemingly replaced with confusion and a frown. That was, at the very least, a start. Perhaps Yukari had done more to get through to Ruby than I had thought.

"Just think about it," I advised, turning away. "Coming back to Yōkai with us might be the start of something great for you. I mean, are you really satisfied with spending the rest of your life up here, isolated from other witches, and murdering anybody that gets too close? Is that _seriously_ how you envision your future? Is that what you want for yourself?"

I was walking away now, one hand in my pocket and the other giving Ruby a wave over my shoulder. "Think about that Ruby. Really give it thought, because this is, after all, _your_ future we're talking about."

Not to mention the future of the people who would stumble upon this place after us. If we couldn't solve this, Ruby would keep on killing, and that was not an outcome I was okay with.

No, Ruby's killing ended here. I'd see to that, even if Ruby refused to come to Yōkai with us. I wanted to get this solved without unnecessary violence, but I wasn't going to sit down and let her keep murdering people. No more innocent people would die here.

No more.

* * *

 _Even later that day…_

"Hey, uh, Peter?"

I looked up from the book I was reading, raising an eyebrow when I saw a nervous-looking Moka fidgeting in front of me. "What's up?" I asked.

"Remember your conversation with my other half last night?" she began awkwardly. "I thought I'd mention that…I sorta overheard…"

The conver—? Oh…right. With everything that had been going on since the talk with the inner Moka, I had forgotten about it entirely.

"So you did," I said quietly. "What about it?"

Moka's expression softened. "I just…I thought I should tell you that I overheard. I wasn't trying to invade your privacy, but it kinda…happened, you know? Also…if you ever need someone to talk to about this stuff, I'm here for you. I'm not sure how good I'll be at helping you through it, but I'm willing to listen if you want to vent."

I gave her a small smile. 'Thanks Moka, I appreciate it, but don't worry, I'm fine. "

"You sure?" she asked in concern. "I mean, you don't _have_ to tell me anything, but maybe it'll help you?"

"Eh, I don't know," I replied with a shrug. "Maybe one day, just not now. We've got bigger issues to deal with right now—mainly Ruby."

The vampire smiled. "Well, okay, if you're sure. But remember, I'm always willing to listen."

I nodded at her. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks. On another note, how's Ruby?"

Moka shrugged. "She seems to be doing pretty good. She only really talks to Yukari, but at least she's talking to _someone_ , and Yukari seems to be doing a good job of getting through to her. Kurumu's the one watching them right now, by the way."

"Good to know," I said as Moka sat down next to me. The girl simply put her chin in her hands as she propped herself up on her knees and stared off into the distance. She remained like that for a good minute or two before licking her lips and pulling a small water bottle, filled with what I assumed was tomato juice, out of the bag leaning against the stone we were sitting on.

"Keeping fed?" I asked without taking my eyes off the book for more than a second.

"Yup!" Moka chirped after gulping down part of the bottle. "There were a few close calls where I got _really_ hungry during class and forgot my bottle, but other than that, I haven't lost control since the day we met."

"Luckily your first would-be victim knew how to fight back," I chuckled. Moka's face quickly turned a shade of pink resembling her hair as she looked away, scratching the back of her head.

"Yeah," she giggled sheepishly. "Good thing." She paused before sticking her tongue out at me. "But if you didn't smell so good, then maybe I wouldn't have lost control."

"My secret is Old Spice," I said with a grin.

Moka giggled again. "But seriously, you've got the weirdest scent ever. But it's a good weird. Like, mmm, exotic."

"So I'm told. You said it, Tamao said it, and I think Kurumu might have mentioned something about it."

I still wondered why my scent was so pleasant to monsters. Moka was a vampire—blood was her food, and mine was radioactive. And I couldn't exactly smell the symbiote, but I never figured it'd smell sweet.

I was abruptly pulled from my thoughts when the very alien in question grew uneasy.

 _What's wrong?_

Large shadow. Moving in the trees.

I slowly looked up and began glancing around, frowning when I failed to find any signs of movement.

 _I don't see it…You're sure you saw something?_

Positive. Search.

"Peter?" Moka asked nervously when she saw my expression. "What's going on?"

"Not sure," I mumbled as I kept glancing about. "Something feels off. I think I saw movement in the trees. Get the others—Ruby included—and make sure they're ready for anything."

"Um, yeah, okay," she said hurriedly as she moved to follow my advice. I, meanwhile, rose to full height, keeping an eye on both the girls as Moka gathered them and on the surroundings as I tried to find the source of what had disturbed the symbiote. The alien, on the other hand, gave every last ounce of attention it had to the surrounding trees, searching them for any sign of trouble.

The girls were approaching me now, with Ruby standing at the forefront, a deep frown on her face. "You," she barked. "What's going on?"

"Trying to figure that out now," I bit back while still glancing around. "I thought I saw something large moving in the trees."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "What kind of something?"

"Didn't get a good look," I said quickly. "Just a shadow at this point, but after seeing this place, I think jumping at shadows is a little justified."

The witch crossed her arms. "My master must have come for me," she stated bluntly. The girls and I all shot confused looks at the witch, who began to clarify. "Lady Oyakata is even more proficient at gathering information through the animals than I am. It seems as though she has found me after I failed to return last night."

"So this shadow is…?" Yukari asked, trailing off as she awaited an answer.

"Likely a soldier sent to retrieve me," Ruby answered. "Or a scout of sorts."

"Can you call this soldier of yours off?" I asked.

"If this is indeed one of Lady Oyakata's soldiers, then she has already given it orders," said Ruby. "If that's the case, then I can't control its actions."

 _Symbiote, have you spotted this thing yet?_

Still looking.

 _Keep at it._

"Well, no hard feelings, but we're probably going to beat the crap out of it," I said with a shrug before turning to Yukari. "Keep an eye on Ruby, will ya? Make sure she's not _spirited away_ or anything."

The girl grinned and looked at Ruby. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe!" The elder witch gave her a confused look before glancing at me.

"I might be of use if I had my wan—"

Ruby's sentence was cut off when something abruptly burst from the trees, just as the symbiote hurriedly alerted me. We whirled at the sound of the noise, only to find a plant monster lumbering towards us. Unlike the Garigarious, however, this creature had a muscular-looking body with long arms and legs, topped off by razor claws. The most prominent features, however, had to have been the massive, gem-like eye on its head, and the gaping maw filled with teeth that resembled rows of needles. Clearly, this was another predatory plant.

"Hanabake," I said almost to myself as I recognized the creature. Shortly after, a grin appeared on my face as the black suit rapidly enveloped me. "I guess we're doing _this_ now!"

I brought my hands up and fired a burst of impact webbing at the Hanabake. Mizore was quick to follow, and shards of ice soon flew past me at the charging creature. I could hear Kurumu's claws extending and Yukari pushing Ruby and Moka back as they stepped behind us.

The plant kept moving forward, but the combination of ice and webbing was quickly slowing it down. "Guys!" Yukari shouted. "This thing's got an exoskeleton as hard as steel! We're gonna have to hit it hard!"

"Oh relax!" I called cheerfully. "Steel-skin isn't very useful against a guy who can punch through steel."

"Oragainst a succubus' claws!" Kurumu added as she jumped into the air.

"Piece of cake," Mizore said softly.

I sprang forward, moving to intercept the Hanabake while Kurumu dove at it from above. A spike of ice rocketed past me, much faster than Mizore's previous attacks, and buried itself in the leg of the charging plant monster. To its credit, the creature merely stumbled, but while its pain tolerance seemed to be high, the time it took for it to recover was enough for me to close the distance between us.

I cocked my arm back as I neared the Hanabake. In the moment of weakness it displayed while regaining its balance, I threw my arm forward, smirking in satisfaction when the hit connected with the Hanabake's midsection, the force of the blow literally throwing the monster off its feet.

As my opponent shot backwards, landing on its back with a loud thud, Kurumu dove straight down at it, aiming her talons directly at the gem-like eye on the top of its head. The monster howled when Kurumu's claws sliced through it with ease. Its long arms made an attempt at grabbing Kurumu, but the Hanabake fell limp before it could do any damage, and its limbs fell uselessly at its sides.

"Well," I mumbled after several seconds. "That was anticlimactic."

"Those Gari things put up a better fight, to be honest," Kurumu said with a confident smirk.

"That's because the Hanabake you fought was weak," Ruby said from behind us. "Either that, or it was given direct orders to act weak. My master is a smart woman—she would not just send a weakling in to get killed."

"A scout, then?" I asked as the black suit peeled back. The symbiote was silently annoyed that the fight had been so short. "Or a test of sorts?"

"Hold on," began Yukari. "If that thing was a scout sent by Ruby's master, then doesn't that mean that she knows where we are? And that we have Ruby? How long do we have until we have a small army of those things here?"

"Probably not long," Moka admitted before turning to Ruby. "But you're not on board with this, right?"

Ruby hesitated, glancing at Yukari who looked right back at her. After a moment, Ruby sighed. "The fact of the matter is that I wouldn't be the one controlling the Hanabake or the Garigarious. My master will be, and she does not take kindly to outsiders trampling over our hill."

"But we haven't done anything!" Kurumu cried heatedly. "We've only defended ourselves! And from what Peter told me, _you_ attacked _him_ last night!"

"Well, yelling at me won't solve anything," Ruby growled.

"Why not send a message?" asked Yukari, gaining everyone's attention. "Ruby, why not send your master a message and tell her that we don't mean any harm? We all want a peaceful solution to this, and you can't say we've treated you badly since we brought you here. Sure, Peter tied you down, but you were released, you were fed, given water, made comfortable, the whole nine yards. Can you please try to get your master to wait for a bit? You and I are getting along just fine, maybe we can come to an understanding with your master? I mean, isn't it worth a try at least? "

The older girl pursed her lips. "I'll need my wand for that," she stated after a second. "I can call a crow and send it to my master with a message that asks her to hold off any attacks she has for the time being, but how long she'll wait or whether she'll wait at all is not for me to decide."

I frowned. Yukari may have befriended Ruby and got us to the point where she wasn't actively trying to kill us, but this Lady Oyakata was a different story. From the way Ruby spoke of her, I assumed she was older, which probably meant more experienced and more powerful. For some reason, I had a feeling that Yukari wouldn't be able to persuade Ruby's master by simply befriending her.

 _IF she can befriend her, that is._

But if we wanted to put a stop to all the killing that went on here, we'd have to convince Ruby's master of it as well. Ruby herself may have done some of the killing with her plants, but if Oyakata had raised her, then she must have harbored some pretty intense hatred for humanity as well.

"We're going to have to meet your master," I said quietly.

Ruby gave me a surprised look. "You want to meet her? Why?"

"Because even if you come back with us to Yōkai Academy, your master might still continue killing," I stated. "If the killings are going to stop, then it'll be when both you _and_ your master stop."

"And what exactly do you plan on doing?" Ruby asked. "Talking to her? Fighting her?"

I shrugged. "If we meet her and see things from her perspective, we may be able to give her an alternative to killing."

"That, and staying here waiting for her to amass an army of plant monsters to kill us doesn't seem like the best idea," Yukari added.

"Right, that too," I confirmed. "I kinda like the idea of staying alive."

"What do we do if she attacks though?" Mizore asked softly.

The snow woman's question left the rest of us somewhat perplexed. What _would_ we do? With Ruby around, fighting her master might destroy the progress Yukari had made with her.

 _Wait, we've got both Ruby and Yukari here. Maybe we could—_

"Well," began Yukari, interrupting my train of thought. "Maybe Ruby and I can convince her otherwise?"

 _Huh, took the words right out of my mouth._

"We're both witches," Yukari continued while glancing at Ruby. "And you're her personal, uh, student? Protégé? I bet she'd be more willing to listen to us."

"You want us to convince her not to attack?" Ruby asked.

"Why not? I mean, after meeting me and the rest of the gang, and after hearing about how accepting we are, do you still want us dead?" Yukari asked.

"I never wanted you dead, Yukari," Ruby pointed out.

"Yes, but you did attack my friends," the younger witch gently replied. "But, that was then, and this is now. So let's put it this way: do you still want to kill _them_? My friends?"

The girl hesitated and looked around at us. Slowly, she looked at the ground. "…no…"

Yukari grinned. "See! We're already making progress!"

Yeah, and at crazy speeds too. It continued to amaze me just how lonely Ruby was to so quickly begin a friendship with Yukari.

Ruby kept her gaze on the ground as she seemed to think about what Yukari was saying. After a second, she glanced up at us. "Do you really think any good can come of this?"

"No idea," I admitted. "But doing something is better than waiting here for your master to decide to kill us."

The older of the two present witches took another moment to think about it, crossing her arms, before finally sighing. "The only one I can truly begin to vouch for is Yukari. I do not know the rest of you, so I cannot tell my master much more than what Yukari has described you all as. The best I can do is _try_ to convince Lady Oyakata that she should not immediately incinerate you."

"How reassuring," Kurumu muttered.

"That's at least as start," said Moka.

"I assume you still want me to send the message then?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah, see if you can get your master to call off any monsters in the area," I said.

"Very well," Ruby replied. "But I will need my wand."

"We figured," giggled Yukari. "I guess I'll get it, and then it looks like we'll be heading out to meet your master."

 _So we are…let's just hope that this isn't going to go horribly wrong._

But knowing my luck, it probably would.

* * *

 _A few minutes later…_

"I'm going to go ahead and assume that the 'call off your monsters' part of the message went ignored by your master," I mumbled as I looked out at the sunflower field.

Ruby snorted. "The simple fact that they haven't attacked is something of a miracle."

The 'they' that Ruby was referring to were the dozens of Garigarious sitting among the sunflowers, watching and growling quietly at us. Obviously, Lady Oyakata refused to remove her soldiers from the equation. I had kinda expected the Garigarious to get involved, but I had been silently hoping otherwise.

Our group currently stood at the edge of the sunflower field, not far from where we had originally shown up. Yukari and Ruby stood in front of our group, waiting for Ruby's master to arrive. Where and when the woman would appear was not entirely known to us, but we had the general area, and the general time. So, we came here, and we waited.

Sadly, however, we had to wait while being watched by a large group of man-eating plants controlled by a woman who very likely would not mind seeing us killed.

Yeah…not exactly the way I had planned on spending my vacation.

"Psst, you brought some of the food with you when we packed, right?" Kurumu whispered. "You got any snacks on hand?"

"Uh no, sorry," I mumbled. "I'm pretty sure Yukari has most of the snacks. The normal food is with Moka."

"Ugh," Kurumu groaned. "Be right back."

While the succubus went to ask Yukari for food, I found myself tapping my foot as Mizore stepped over to me. "Hey," she began. "Do we know what we're going to do to get this master to stop her killing?"

"Not sure yet," I answered. "But we'll start figuring it out once we know more about Lady What'sHerFace." Mizore laughed quietly at the comment, her gaze drifting back to the field as we searched for any signs of an approaching figure.

"Hey, quick question," said the snow woman. "When we get back to Yōkai Academy, do you think we could write those articles together?"

"Hmm? What?"

"Your articles," Mizore clarified. "The ones you publish in the Yōkai Gazette."

"Ah, right, I remember. Yeah, sure, you can help me write something Maybe you could even join the Newspaper Club."

"You think so?" asked the purple-haired girl.

"Sure, I'm down for it," I said with a grin.

The response I received was a smile from the calm girl.

Some time passed after that. Kurumu returned with her snack, a few of the Garigarious switched positions, and I talked with Mizore for a few minutes while Yukari and Ruby chatted in front of us. _Finally_ , I saw Ruby flinch, and a figure became visible among the sunflowers, appearing from almost out of nowhere.

 _The heck was that? Teleporting? Or was that an illusion?_

Magic, the symbiote seemed to mumble with annoyance.

Hunched over and wrapped in a worn robe that might have once been regal, the figure slowly walked towards us. The Garigarious plants moved about as the newcomer approached, both clearing a path and taking defensive positions around the mysterious character.

"So this is the master," whispered Moka. "Lady Oyakata…"

Minutes passed like hours as Lady Oyakata approached. Her steps were slow and deliberate, and from beneath her robe, I could see a gnarled, ancient hand swaying along with the woman's steps. The sight of the aged hand built a sense of worry in me, because when it came to witches, age meant experience, and with the magic they use, experience could be roughly equivalent to power.

"L-Lady Oyakata," Ruby greeted with a bow when her master was close enough.

…

"I have returned," Ruby continued, despite her master's silence. She was visibly agitated at Oyakata's lack of response. "I…I have brought the outsiders with me…"

Slowly, the newest witch raised her head. Sickly, nearly translucent skin was the first feature I noticed on the woman's wrinkled face. Numerous odd-looking veins covered her cheeks, and I noticed that her teeth were oddly sharp. When her head had risen enough for the remainder of her face to be uncovered by her hood, we were treated to the sight of a pair of intelligent eyes, framed by heavy, dark bags that formed on the already unhealthy skin.

I smiled weakly to myself.

 _I knew my instincts were on point when I expected a grouchy old lady._

"So you have," rasped a gravelly voice. "You brought the outsiders to me." Lady Oyakata's eyes narrowed and her lips pulled back slightly. "And yet, you were fully aware that I despise having outsiders on my hill, that I want nothing to do with them. You disappoint me."

"They are a peculiar group," Ruby said hurriedly. "I'm sure you've already watched them, so you know that they're not human, and that one of them is a witch like us."

The old witch gave Ruby a deep frown. "I have long since taught you not to trust those who are not like us. The relationship between witches and monsters has always been strained. But not only do you disregard that, you take it a step further and bring them back, claiming that I should meet them."

"Y-Yes, but Yukari is also a witch, and she has repeatedly told me that her group can be trusted!" Ruby exclaimed, clutching her wand. "I have not forgotten all your lessons, master, I promise."

"Is that so?" asked Oyakata. "Hmm, we shall see." The woman turned to Yukari. "So, I assume this is the witch I have heard about."

Yukari gulped and nodded.

"Come forward, child."

 _Symbiote, be ready for anything._

Affirmative.

The youngest witch present stepped up, facing Oyakata while the old woman observed the brown-haired girl. The rest of us watched anxiously, waiting for Ruby's master to respond. Eventually, the woman began nodding her head. "Yes, Ruby was correct in her analysis. Definitely a witch."

Yukari gave Oyakata a nervous smile.

The woman then looked up from the young girl, her eyes slowly passing over the rest of us. There was a notable frown on her face, and her gaze was cold—clearly, she wasn't going to hide the fact that she disliked us.

"So," began Oyakata. "You are the group of outsiders that have come into my home and destroyed some of my plants."

"Yeah, that sounds like us," I said quietly. Moka was a little more respectful in her greeting, and bowed politely to the older female. Mizore and Kurumu both gave small nods in response to Oyakata's description of us.

"Ruby spoke of you in her message," the old woman mumbled. "She was brief, but she says that you are close friends of Yukari, and that, for the sake of the young witch, I should not destroy her friends, despite the fact that you barged into my home, attacked and killed some of my soldiers, and kidnapped my protégé."

"We didn't kidnap her," Kurumu pointed out. "We just didn't want to leave her out in the woods alone and unconscious."

Oyakata snorted. "An excuse that's been used before. I've lived a long life, girl, and I have long since learned that full-blooded monsters have hated my kind since before you were born."

"Um, m-ma'am," Yukari began shyly. "She's telling the truth. We gave Ruby a bed, food, and water."

The woman raised an eyebrow and turned to Ruby with a quizzical look on her face. Ruby, meanwhile, swallowed nervously. "Well, it's true that they provided provisions, and I was not mistreated. And while Yukari may be the only one among them that I can even begin to trust right now, she claims that her friends are trustworthy as well."

"Hmm, tell me, Yukari, why are you in the company of non-witches?" asked Oyakata. "A young witch should be seeking the company of other witches, should she not?"

"Ah, heh, funny story, that," Yukari laughed weakly. "Without going into details, they were the first to accept me. As a witch, I got bullied a lot, but these guys never gave me a hard time with it. It was the opposite, actually. Moka knew what I was going through, and because of that, she was determined to become my friend." Yukari accentuated the statement by pointing out the pink-haired vampire when she referred to her. "I was so happy to have friends like them that I didn't care what kind of monsters they were."

Oyakata's eyes narrowed slightly. "I see," she mumbled. "What a peculiar relationship." The old witch then turned to us. "So then, Ruby told me that your group wanted to meet me. Why, may I ask, would you want such a thing?"

Moment of truth…

I took a deep breath. "We're here because we want to talk to you about the people you've killed. We want to find an alternative."

"An alternative?"

"An alternative to the killing," I clarified. "In short, we want to put an end to the murders that have been going on here."

I could tell that Oyakata's opinion of me was plummeting faster than a stone. Her expression soured and a contained anger filled her old eyes. "What?" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what you're asking, or are you just somebody's errand boy?"

"I'm asking you to work with us in finding an alternative to killing people," I answered. "So yes, I know exactly what I'm asking."

"Those _humans_ have been slowly destroying our home for years," Oyakata spat. "And now you're here telling me I should, what, _let_ them?!"

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Moka exclaimed. "We're on your side here! We're just looking for a peaceful solution."

"Peace between humans and witches became unobtainable after they slaughtered our kind by the hundreds," Oyakata growled. "Coexistence between us and the local humans became impossible when they decided that they had the right to destroy our home. No, no I will not sit down and let them go unpunished."

I mentally noted Oyakata's use of the word 'unpunished'. Revenge was a part of all this as well.

"But the people you're punishing are innocent," I pressed. "You're ordering the death of people who never had anything to do with the planned destruction of your home."

"Do not speak to me of innocence, _child_ ," spat the witch. "They are almost anything but innocent. After years of watching my home deteriorate at their hands and my kind suffer because of their deeds, I have already decided on my course of action; your narrow interpretation of innocence and justice will not change that."

There was something about this woman's anger. She wasn't as expressive as Ruby when it came to her feelings, but I could see the cold fury in her eyes, held back by years of experience and wisdom. Unlike Ruby had, though, this woman wasn't losing her cool— _yet_. And even though she displayed less visible aggression, Oyakata's hatred for humans was probably even more deep-seeded than Ruby's.

"If all you wanted was to try and convince me of an alternative, then you've failed," Oyakata stated. "And you will always fail. There is no alternative that I will accept. Now that you know that, take your belongings, and leave. I will spare your lives this once for Yukari's sake, but do not return to my hill." The woman paused and turned to Yukari. "You, however, are permitted to stay. The invitation Ruby granted to you still holds."

Yukari flinched and backed up slightly. Oyakata gave no visible reaction other than turning away again. "You have until sundown to leave my hill," she said flatly. "I do not want to see you here ever again. Ruby, make sure that these intruders are gone by that time."

I shut my eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave just yet."

Oyakata froze mid-step, slowly swiveling to face me. "What?" she growled under her breath.

"I'm not leaving," I said firmly, crossing my arms. "Until we find a way to fix this, I'm not leaving Witch Hill."

If things got too insane, I knew I'd probably end up sending the girls away. As for me, though, I wouldn't be leaving until I knew for sure that no more innocent people would be getting killed here.

Oyakata, meanwhile, glared at me, the once-contained anger slowly breaking through her controlled exterior. "It appears you misunderstand your position here, _boy_ ," she rasped venomously. "You are still breathing because Ruby, acting on Yukari's behalf, asked me to spare you and your group of misfits. For the sake of a fellow witch, I gave you the chance to leave this place, and leave me to my business. If, however, you insist on standing in my way, then you are but another enemy, and believe me when I say I will not hesitate in killing you."

The woman turned away again. "And since you are so fond of alternatives, I will give you one: leave, or _die_. Consider this your final warning."

And then, just like that, she was gone. Her body seemed to become a mass of leaves that scattered into the wind, flying away and leaving us alone with our thoughts.

"That could have gone better," I murmured after a few seconds. At least we better understood just how stubborn this woman was going to be, and we also knew that Oyakata wasn't only trying to protect her hill; she was also looking for revenge against humanity.

She'll snap soon, the symbiote mentally warned.

 _I know…_

Ruby had been one thing, but this Oyakata character…she was a different story. Trying to argue with her and find an alternative to her methods right now ran the risk of angering her and causing her to attack. And unlike Ruby, this woman could pose a serious threat. If it was just me, I'd be willing to take more risks, but with the girls here as well…

Then there was also the small matter of Oyakata's nonexistent staff. Witches required a medium to channel their power through, so unless Ruby's master had somehow transcended one of the most basic laws of nature that governed her race, she must have found a way to either conceal her item, or simply had one that I couldn't identify. Either way, the fact that I didn't yet know how to disarm her meant that she would have plenty of chances to fire off spells at us, and something told me that her magic would be far more deadly than anything Ruby could cook up at this point.

"Well," Mizore said to herself. "That wasn't as informative as I thought it would be."

Ruby, meanwhile, let out a quiet sigh. "My master has spoken. You should be gone by sundown, or there will be consequences." I glanced at the witch when she had begun speaking, an idea slowly forming in my head.

 _Ruby's master is going to be a pain to reason with, but if we can get Ruby to join us, it'd be easier._

Then again, Oyakata didn't seem like she'd hold Ruby's opinion in very high regard compared to her own. But still, it would improve our chances of winning her over, and it would at least help put a stop to Ruby's killing.

And if it we ended up fighting Lady Oyakata with Ruby on our side, we may be able to identify some weaknesses if Ruby offered her input.

This was, of course, all theoretical, and we'd first have to actually convince Ruby to join us. Looking at the slightly distraught witch made it clear that doing so would take more time, but at least we had a fellow witch to communicate with her.

Looking back to the sunflower field as the Garigarious went back to their various hiding places, a single thought ran through my head.

 _This…is not going to be easy._

* * *

 **A/N:** _Here's to hoping that Chapter 19 will arrive somewhere before the twenty-second century. Again, sorry for my horrible track record of slow updates. Hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving!_

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Lady Oyakata's Behavior:** _A quick refresher for those who have not read the manga, Ruby's master was actually alive and actively involved in the plot against the humans. Anyway, on to the main point of this entry: the manga showed that Ruby's master was a pretty unstable individual. However, in the manga, she was furious with Ruby and the gang by the time she got any real 'screen-time'. Here, I portrayed her as what I thought she'd be like before going berserk, seeing as this Ruby has not joined up with the main cast at this point. During her angry comments to Peter, I was trying to show her irrational and unstable side so that readers will see that I'm not neglecting the information provided by the manga._

 **Peter's Attitude Towards Ruby:** _Peter mentioned it himself, but in case anybody wasn't getting it, I thought I'd make an entry fully explaining my thought process here. Unlike with the usual baddies, Peter can't just defeat Ruby and dump her into the arms of an authority who knows what to do with her. Until they can get Ruby proper help, Peter knows that he and the gang are the ones who have to deal with her. Since Peter is a hero, I think it's reasonable to assume that, placed in the position of one who has to actually deal with the aftermath of a defeated criminal, he'd try to take steps to change Ruby and correct her mindset. Getting through her rough, violent exterior was the first step in changing her, and to get through said exterior, Peter and the others began showing that they themselves were not hostile._

 **Ruby's Quick 'Acceptance':** _I'm going to start by pointing out that, in my head, this Ruby has not actually 'accepted' the gang, so to speak. She is sorta in the middle, having heard from Yukari about what great friends they could be, and having spent so much time with a master that taught her to hate outsiders._ _The way I understand it, though, is that Ruby was absolutely desperate for another witch to call a friend. Taking that into account, anything Yukari said would probably mean a lot to Ruby, and if she kept telling her about how accepting the Newspaper Club is, Ruby would probably begin to wonder if the gang was as great as Yukari described them. That in mind, I think it's possible that she would start considering hearing them out and given them a chance; however, right now, she's hesitant. Ultimately, though, I think Ruby's character is somewhat flawed. If I made her reaction to the gang entirely realistic, it would start making her act out of character compared to her canon counterpart, and I don't want to take things that far._


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _You seem pretty keen on the idea of the fanboys playing a part :) We'll have to see how things play out with her before I can even consider adding Keito to anybody's harem. Regarding the memory wiping suggestion, that's actually really smart. I didn't even think of it! Not sure if I'll use it, but there's a lot of logic to it. I won't tell you how Peter will handle Kuyo because that'd be a spoiler, and don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the quote just yet._

 **Red Rain17:** _I sent a PM in reply to your review._

 **maxe03:** _I don't see anything wrong with mentioning that he doesn't look Japanese. As for the first name basis, this is being written in English, and I'm not entirely familiar with Japanese culture (I'm from America), so the last name, honorifics-based name-calling felt odd. I'm not entirely sure how she would react to his blood, but being radioactive, it could theoretically harm her. So far, no, he doesn't use venom blast or spider control, and he can't become a Man-Spider. And don't worry, I know about the Mark of Kaine. He's not ignoring the lengths the succubi would go to, but if they went to the extremes, then they'd get discovered and very possibly targeted for extinction. Kurumu explained why they can't mate with humans, and from a non-biological standpoint, it includes metas. He told the teachers because what else was he supposed to do?_

 **Guest:** _Kurumu explained why they don't mate with humans, and when it comes to metas, the cases probably vary depending on their altered DNA. People will do crazy things for survival, yeah, but for succubi, going too far means exposure to humans, which can lead to, you guessed it, extinction._

 **HeartD46:** _I don't doubt that :)_

 **Kharn:** _Hmm, that's pretty unique and clever…_

 **SonicAnime2010:** _I couldn't have said it better myself. Glad you enjoyed those scenes. And oh boy, I almost forgot about how…weird Ruby got later on. Luckily, she seemed a bit less masochistic in her debut._

 **chimera629:** _It's not speaking because I thought that was overused. It's not called Venom because, well, it's not Venom. Impersonating a police officer is a bit of a stretch, and I didn't say he'd turn to crime. Romance functions differently in my story because, unlike Tsukune, who was obsessed with Moka, Peter treats her like a very close friend. I won't tell if they return to the US because that'd be a spoiler. If anybody looked up New York, they'd have to wade through a lot of news about other metahumans to find Spider-Man. Plus, bigger, more known heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, etc. exist to steal the spotlight. Moka can be dumb at times, yeah, but it's how she acts in canon. She didn't take off the Rosario because that would hurt her just as much as the water, if not more. Just because I didn't show them checking out the martial arts club doesn't mean they didn't actually look at it (plus one of the guys is sorta a perv). Moka didn't stick to the web because the symbiote can control how adhesive it is. Kurumu tried to help, yes, but Peter helped teach her that her methods crossed a lot of lines and that she hurt people to get what she wanted. Currently, he can't turn into Man-Spider, but hey, you never know, right? He wanted to make sure the girl wasn't hurt because his priority was to protect her. Yōkai's school security is a corrupt gang of thugs that rarely tries to do their job. Having perverted magazines is, in fact, perverted. Peter has broken into numerous buildings without permission and technically solves most problems by beating people. Inner Moka did sense Gin's power, not sure how you missed that part. There are dozens of monsters that could have fit the description. The plan was basic, and depended on the school's attitude towards perverts. They didn't beat anything out of him, they just approached him and told him they knew, and were prepared to fight if need be. And if it's Gin's word against theirs, they will win, because Ginei has a reputation, and they outnumber him. I answered your questions regarding floating and the moon in one of our PM conversations. It did cross his mind, there were just complications. I haven't worked out all of its feeding habits. Yukari's eleven. Peter's reaction was perfectly normal for the situation. A small form with super strength indicates a special ability (vampires have this) that is rare in monsters, so they didn't assume anything, they just found it interesting. Kurumu, I believe, can cut through things easily mostly because her claws are supernaturally sharp. The school has a security group, but, again, it's super corrupted. I'm not Yukari's parent, so I can't speak for either of them, but I think they put her in a school for monsters because she's, you know, a monster. Peter didn't tell her because it's common knowledge and she already knows—she's not stupid. I'd assume that, 'off camera', she got a slap on the wrist. Okay, as for the fight against Nagare, I agree that I screwed up; I can admit that. Peter might realize it, but he doesn't play pranks, he saves lives. The blackmail worked in canon, so it works here (plus, Kurumu may not want pics of her in dirty outfits all over campus). They might, they might not—the rule is not to reveal your true form. Now then, I'll respond to your other reviews with PMs soon, because this reply is way too long as it is. Check your inbox for the messages._

 **ZILLAFAN:** _Oddly enough, I had a similar idea while outlining. Still not sure if it'll make the final cut though._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thanks._

 **Server lock:** _Yeah, I know, I've been taking things slow with this. I haven't really decided how Peter's blood would affect a vampire, so no answer there yet. The old lady actually attached herself to the plants in the manga, not the hill. I don't want to attack any particular group for the Witch Trials because lines are blurred throughout history and I'd rather not get into those technicalities. From a witch's point of view, though, humans as a species were to blame._

 **Justaguest:** _No problem, glad you're enjoying it so far! Not gonna reveal Oyakata's final fate yet, but I agree that Peter is not one to consider murder unless someone SERIOUSLY crosses the line. Admittedly, the history between this Peter and the Goblin of this universe would be far shorter than the 616 counterparts, but I'd like to think that I can make something of what I've set out for myself here. Not gonna reveal what I have planned after the Witch Hill arc, but interesting guesses all the same. Regarding Peter's development, in my head, he is affected far less by the girls than they are by him. The reasoning is that the female cast of the series had pretty crappy track records with friends and/or people bullying them. Peter affects them so much because they went from zero to hero (as in, from no friends to, well, Peter—the literal superhero). Peter, on the other hand, went from having no friends, to getting Harry and Gwen, to living life as a costumed crime-fighter, during which he was forced to mature even more so than he already had. I believe it's harder for the girls to have a massive affect on him like he has on them, but he's already willing to lay down his life for them, so there's that. And don't worry about the length, you're fine :)_

 **thom. clark. 73:** _Happy to hear that. Your description of this Ruby is pretty much exactly what I was going for. You read the situation perfectly._

 **Junky:** _Awesome! Glad you're enjoying it, and hope it continues to please!_

 **Croniklerx:** _Do I even need to say anything?_

 **Ranger Station Charlie:** _Well, we'll just have to see how the symbiote's nature changes in response to Peter. Hmm, interesting, I didn't think the symbiote could add strength by simply packing on what's technically fake muscle mass. Useful knowledge all the same, so thanks! Yeah, having it on sates the addiction, but the need to use it as the black suit is psychological (and mostly from the symbiote)._

 **Jazz Ears:** _Great! Hope you keep enjoying it! I'm still working out the specifics of New York, but I think I'll reveal it later on in the story. And yeah, Jonah's probably still posting Spider-Menace stories despite the webhead's absence._

 **Spidey4lyfe:** _After this chapter, hopefully soon. Realistically, though, chapters usually take a little under a month for me to finish and edit. This one was an exception because of the holidays._

 **A/N:** _At the time of writing this particular portion of the A/N, this story is at 430 favorites and 504 followers. That is INSANE. That destroys my original goal for this story at its current length! I don't know what else to say besides thank you. You're all awesome. On a side note, this is another dialogue-heavy chapter, but it sets up for action in the next chapter._

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE:** _I'm coming back from winter break and I have no clue who I have and have not responded to. I tried to make sure I gave everybody a reply if they needed one, but if I missed you, let me know so I can respond._

* * *

 **-Chapter 19: Change of Heart-**

"Please tell me we have a chance," I mumbled to Yukari. The girl twitched and gulped, but offered a weak smile all the same.

"I think we do," she replied. "Ruby is…she's lonely. She's desperate for another witch to call a friend."

"Will that be enough though?" asked Kurumu.

"I'm not sure, but I do know this," said Yukari. "Ruby seems like she's in a lot of pain. It's not all that obvious when she talks to you guys, but I've asked a little about her past, and while she hasn't gone into detail yet, it's obvious that she's been hurt, and all the time spent here has not done any good for her."

"You think she doesn't like it here?" asked Moka.

"That's not exactly what I'm saying," Yukari muttered while putting a finger to her chin. "But Ruby has nowhere else to go. I don't think she's ever considered the idea of leaving Witch Hill—and I don't think she can even imagine it at this point—so she stays here because she thinks she has to. If we can show her just how much happier she'd be at Yōkai, or just how little there is for her here in general, we might be able to get her to come back with us."

"And if she's with us," Mizore added from her seat on the blown-up mattress. "Then our chances of dealing with her master are that much higher."

"Exactly," Yukari confirmed. I smiled to myself. Ever since coming here, I had begun to notice that Yukari and I often had pretty similar thought processes. Like me, the young witch had decided that one of the quickest ways of forcing Oyakata to acknowledge us and our desire for peace was by getting Ruby to see things from our perspective. In essence, it was similar to the time when I told Mizore I'd speak out against Kotsubo: a top student calling out a corrupted teacher versus Oyakata's only student claiming that her enemies had a point.

Of course, that meant we still had to convince Ruby that we were right.

So, when I shared my original idea with Yukari, she had shared hers—which was almost identical—and we had a few minutes of brainstorming before asking the others what they thought of it. And that was how we had ended up here, sitting together in one of our tents, discussing our chances of getting through to Ruby while the girl in question was performing a few tasks for her master. Yukari had convinced the older witch that she should come visit us in a little while in order to give us time to think, and to get Ruby to come to us again so that we could actually try to reason with her.

"That's great and all," said Kurumu, crossing her arms. "But how do we convince Ruby to turn against her master? You guys haven't told us anything about a grand plan to persuade her."

"Well, we don't have to convince her to actually turn against anyone," I began. "If we show her that there are better alternatives, then we can tell her that we all need to work together to make her master see the truth too."

"That makes sense," Moka commented.

"But we still need to get her to join us," Mizore said quietly. "Do we have a plan for that?"

"Not yet," Yukari admitted. "But we're working on it."

"You know, it'd help if we knew a little more about her past," I wondered aloud. "If we knew more about her, we'd have an easier time finding a reason for her to come back with us, or at the very least, stop killing people."

Yukari hesitated at that. "We might have some trouble with that. Ruby doesn't seem like she's going to open up to you guys anytime soon, and if she catches me telling you guys things about her past that she deliberately tried to keep secret, then…I'll lose every ounce of trust she has in me. Then we'll be back at—no, we'll be even _further_ behindthan where we started."

"Why not ask her if you can tell us her story?" asked Moka. "If she's not comfortable telling us, have her tell you, and then ask if you can tell us in her place. It might make things easier for her."

"And if Ruby says no?" asked Kurumu. "What then?"

"I guess I could try and point out her own loneliness to her," Yukari mumbled. "Knowing more about her actual life and experiences would help a lot, but if she won't share that, then I guess our next best move would be to use what we know about her personality to reason with her."

"Speaking of personality," I began. "What have you learned about her? Besides the loneliness, I mean."

Yukari scratched her check. "Well, she's…angry. There are a lot of things in her life that really infuriate her, and to be honest, some of the things _are_ unfair for her. But like I said earlier, the way she acts around me makes me think that, underneath it all, she's just really desperate for a new friend."

"You mean a witch friend," Mizore corrected. "The rest of us don't seem all that welcome in her circle."

"Oh come on," Moka threw in with a nervous smile. "I'm sure she'll warm up to us soon."

"But how long will that take?" asked Kurumu. "We've only got until sundown. Then what? Oyakoota—"

"Oyakata."

"Then Oyakata comes for us?" Kurumu finished. "And if Ruby's not on our side by then, won't she fight us right alongside her master?"

"Well, we don't necessarily need Ruby to warm up to _us_ ," I said. "She's close enough to Yukari to actually consider what we say, so the only thing that we really need to do is convince her that coming back to Yōkai with us will give her more happiness in life."

"And, to be honest, I'm almost positive that her life _will_ get better," Yukari added. "All this time she's spent here at the hill, almost entirely alone except for her master and…monster _plants_ —I don't think it's helping her at all. She's bitter, and she's been wallowing in her anger for who knows how long now. That can't be healthy."

"Which means that leaving this place might not be as hard for her as we originally thought, right?" asked Moka.

"Theoretically, yes," I answered. "It may be subconsciously, but I think that, somewhere deep down, Ruby knows she's unhappy here. But then there's her master. Ruby said that woman raised her, and if she's as hateful towards humans as Ruby is, then who knows what kind of ideas she's filled Ruby's head with over the years? For all we know, Ruby's staying here because her master has taught her that she is never allowed to leave."

"Abuse?" Mizore questioned with a cold look.

"I don't think so," Yukari said immediately. "Ruby spoke _very_ highly of her master. Not just in respect but in affection. I think, when we met her today, Lady Oyakata was just in a bad mood because, uh…"

"Because we were there, relax Yukari, we know," Kurumu said with a roll of her eyes. "No point in hiding it; Ruby and Lady Something-or-Other don't like us because we're not witches."

"Yeaaahh, sorry about that," the young girl mumbled sheepishly. "Those two seem to have developed a thing against not only humans, but anyone that's not a witch."

"I guess that's just another barrier we'll have to break," said the ever-optimistic Moka. I had no doubt that we could eventually get Ruby to see that not all non-witches were evil or out to get her. The problem, however, was the time limit. I wasn't sure if we could get her to change her attitude towards us by the end of the day. But maybe, just maybe, we could get her to accept the idea of coming back to Yōkai Academy with us by showing her just how little Witch Hill was doing for her.

"I think we should start small," said Yukari. "Let me start reintroducing the idea of coming back to Yōkai with us to Ruby, and after she starts considering it, you guys can start supporting the notion. If and when Ruby sees the merit of it, we can start working on how we can talk to Lady Oyakata."

"Sounds like a plan," I said before chuckling quietly. "A cobbled-together, last-second plan, but a plan."

Yukari giggled quietly and stuck her tongue out. "Oh I don't know. I can be pretty persuasive if I want to be."

"Just don't drop a basin on her head," Kurumu joked. I grinned at the statement while Yukari only rolled her eyes.

"Gee, thanks for the advice, Kurumu" the witch droned even as a smile tugged at her lips. "And here I was thinking of smacking her in the face while she was recovering from that basin. Any other words of wisdom you wanted to give me?"

Kurumu actually burst out laughing at that one, and even Mizore giggled quietly. Watching the friendly exchange, I began to get the feeling that our chances of getting Ruby to come with us weren't as horribly low as I expected.

Oyakata, however, was a different story. When it came to that woman, I had this…feeling.

It wasn't a good feeling.

* * *

 _Later that day_

Ruby had returned not long after we had decided on what we should do. As per usual, the witch sought out the only other member of her kind within our group, and the two had gotten to socializing while the rest of us had gone about our business as we waited nervously for Yukari to get through to Ruby.

But that had been over an hour ago. Now, our group, minus the two witches, sat a short distance from the tent Ruby and Yukari were hanging out in. I could just barely hear the two talking, and while it was a little difficult to make out the words, I could faintly hear phrases.

Bus returns today, the symbiote silently reminded.

I resisted the urge to nod in response, instead opting to offer a mental 'thank you' to my alien partner. Today was our last scheduled day in the human world. I wasn't sure when the bus would arrive, but the most likely probability, to me, was in the evening, when the day was ending.

So, technically, we had two time limits: the arrival of the bus and until sundown. I wasn't so sure about the bus yet, but once the sun set, things with Oyakata might get that much more dangerous. The easiest solution?

Be done by then.

But was that likely? Good question. Regardless, we still had to try, and maybe with Ruby on our side— _if_ she joined us—Oyakata might be less likely to attack and more likely to listen.

"You know, I might be late to the party by asking this," Kurumu began. "But what happens to Ruby if she comes back with us to Yōkai?"

"I was under the impression that she'd get counseling," said Moka before looking at me. "Or am I wrong?"

"No, you're right," I replied. "After all that's happened to her, counseling seems like the best choice. It's what I'd send her to, at least."

"Is she joining the club though?" asked the local succubus. "Yukari seemed to like that idea a lot."

"Um, I don't know," I admitted. "Honestly, I'd like her to get that counseling first. And it'd be nice if we could get past our differences with her first. Being in the same club as her would be awkward like this."

There was also the small issue of her being a killer. Or an ex-killer, if we had anything to say about it. Either way, she was dangerous, and I wanted to be sure she was calm before being comfortable with her in our club. I didn't want to be rude or antagonistic, but the fact still stood that she had sent her plants to kill people in the past, and I didn't want a repeat of that.

Mizore looked like she was about to add something to the conversation, but I tuned it out when a new sound reached my ears. Faint and muffled, it was difficult to hear, but after a second of focusing, I recognized the sound as…

"Crying," I mumbled. The girls, hearing my quiet statement, gave me confused looks. In their moment of silence, however, the sound of suppressed crying reached their ears, and their eyes widened when they heard it.

While the symbiote prepared for the worst, I quickly traced the noise back to where it seemed to be originating: the tent. Or, more precisely, the tent that Yukari and Ruby were in. Sharing another glance with the girls, it only took a moment for us to briskly get up from our seats and walk over to the tent. The crying grew louder, and I could hear the sound of a new voice—this one belonging to Yukari—quietly calming someone down.

 _I guess we know who's crying then._

I was about to ask if everything was alright, but Ruby began talking to Yukari again, and when she started, the girls and I simply stood there, fixed in place while we listened.

"—just some _stupid drunk driver_ ," Ruby hissed quietly. "Bastard could have gone on any street, hit any of the _hundreds_ of people on the block, but _no_! The one family he had to hurt was _mine!_ "

 _…hoo boy…_

"And while I was alone," Ruby continued, her voice cracking slightly. "All I could do was hate the humans. I hated them, their blasted city, their ignorant tendencies, _everything_ about them—I hated it!"

Drunk drivers, hurt families, and the response Ruby was describing—it didn't take a genius to figure out what had probably happened.

And it also didn't take a genius to figure out that we weren't meant to hear this. Turning back to the girls, I shook my head and begun ushering them away while I followed behind them.

 _Alright, that shed some light on things._

I had already guessed it, but Ruby's troubled past extended beyond the planned destruction of Witch Hill, and, again, as I had guessed, humans were the cause of her pains.

"You guys catch that?" I whispered when we were further away.

"Yeah," Mizore said gently. "I think I can guess what happened…"

Moka, meanwhile, ran a hand down her face. "I guess it's no wonder she hates humans so much," the vampire mumbled. "The poor thing…"

Before I could response, I found myself whirling at the sound of a surprised cry from Yukari when Ruby briskly exited the tent, throwing aside the flap while she stepped out and brandished her wand. Her eyes were reddened and slightly puffy, and there were a few fresh tear marks on her face from the crying.

Fearing the worst, I immediately prepared for a fight as the symbiote—

"Ruby, wait!" shouted an agitated Yukari as she burst from the tent. "Where are you going?!"

"I'm sorry, Yukari," the older girl said firmly as three pairs of crow's wings erupted from her back. "But it's too late for me to change my lifestyle now."

"No it's not!" the younger witch proclaimed, grabbing onto Ruby. "Look, I know you're tied to your master and this place, but please consider it!"

Ruby's silence apparently did little to ease the panicking Yukari, but it did give the two a chance to notice the rest of us standing there in alert confusion, and with me being almost entirely covered by the black suit—or, from their perspective, partially transformed—we must have looked pretty baffled.

"Uh…someone wanna fill us in?" I asked hesitantly.

The two witches shared a slightly awkward glance while the rest of us watched on in confusion. A moment later, Ruby attempted to take to the sky, but Yukari's arms wrapping around her torso stopped her.

"I said _wait_!" Yukari shouted in a tone that reflected desperation.

"Yukari," Ruby said slowly. "I…can't. I can't leave Witch Hill."

"Look, just give me a chance to tell more you about it," Yukari insisted. "I honestly think coming to Yōkai Academy with us might be the best decision you've made in a long, long time!"

Ruby sighed. "Yukari, please let go."

"Hey, uh, ladies?" I began as the black suit receded. "How about we start with putting the wings and wands away? And maybe letting go of each other? Then we can talk, yeah?"

Yukari glanced at me before slowly stepping back and letting go of Ruby. "Just please listen to us," she young witch whispered.

Ruby, meanwhile, didn't react at first. She was visibly hesitant and a little confused, but nevertheless complied. "Yukari," she began quietly, but with notably less firmness. "You've made your points, and just like you can't stay here, I can't leave with you. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is."

"But isn't a more peaceful life and home worth it?" Yukari asked. "You'd be with me, another witch, and you wouldn't have to worry about humans destroying your home."

"With my master present, they will not destroy it."

"But you have to kill in order to ensure that doesn't happen, right?" Yukari pressed. "Imagine being able to go about your life without having to do that. Imagine not having to kill people who get too close, or not immediately having to worry about the people that do come near you. Doesn't that sound like freedom to you?"

Ruby shut her eyes. "I have a duty to fulfill with my master, and I will not abandon it."

Yukari only shook her head and glanced at us for support. Seeing the opportunity, Moka was the first to speak up. "Um, Ruby?" she began nervously. "I know that you and I aren't exactly friends yet—though I would like that, eventually—but believe me when I say that I want to help you. We all do."

The vampire paused and shifted from foot to foot. "And, well, Yukari has probably told you this, but I wanted to help her when we met because she was a witch. It was because she was suffering that I wanted to be there for her. So, when we say that we want you to come back to Yōkai with us, we're doing it because we want to help you."

"But…I have a duty to perform," Ruby mumbled.

"What 'duty'?" I asked. "Protecting the hill? I can certainly understand that, but Ruby, you need to learn when to let go. Defending your home is one thing, but you and your master have already crossed a line, and it won't be long before you cross more. There's got to be a point where you realize that you've done more harm than good."

"My duty is more than just defending my home," said Ruby, her eyes downcast. "It is about justice. My master has every right to hate the humans, and so do I, and if her Ladyship wishes that I aid her in her quest to find that justice, then I will not refuse."

"But we can help you guys get something _better_ ," said Kurumu, stepping forward. "A new home, one where there are no humans—"

"If there are no humans, then my master will not be able to punish them," said Ruby. "That would be going against her wish, and she would not appreciate that."

"But her wish is hurting people," Mizore quietly pointed out.

"Guilty people," Ruby whispered. Rubbing my temples, the symbiote and I realized that we weren't going to get anywhere fast. So, instead, I sat down, crossing my legs.

"Why don't you take a seat?" I said, addressing Ruby. "We need to have a talk."

"It's pointless…" she said.

"We'll see," I replied while the others took their seats. "But, for now, sit down."

 _And let's get this over with._

Ruby blinked in confusion, but a single glance at Yukari's pleading expression caused the older girl to sigh and sit down, regardless of her apparent unwillingness. As her legs crossed beneath her, she placed her staff-slash-wand on top of them and looked around at us. "Yukari has made her point and stated her beliefs," the witch gently began. "But I cannot abandon my master, and I know that she will not leave Witch Hill."

"Let's start with something else," said Moka, a small smile present on her pale face. "Ruby, can you honestly say that you're happy here?"

This earned the vampire a surprised look from the girl in question. "Happy?"

"Yes," Moka continued. "Are you happy here? Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life?"

Ruby tilted her head and frowned at the sky. "Well, I am serving her Ladyship, so I suppose I am happy…"

"You suppose or you are?" Kurumu asked. "Because, to me, you don't sound so sure."

"Um…I….think?" Ruby said unsurely. I inwardly smirked at the lack of confidence in her answer, just because it was starting to seem like my theory regarding Ruby might be true. I did, after all, hypothesize that she was secretly unhappy here, even if she was unwilling to admit it to herself. Deciding to vocalize my thoughts, I leaned forward.

"Ruby, let me tell you what I think," I began. "And, Yukari might already think the same thing, though I'm not sure. Anyway, from what I've seen, I'm going to go ahead and say that you are not happy here."

Reeling back in surprise, Ruby's eyes narrowed. "And what makes you sa—"

"Let me finish," I cut in. "What I believe is that, deep down, you know full well that this isn't what you imagined your life to be. You're not…satisfied. You want more from life, and Witch Hill isn't going to give it to you. Now, you're loyal to your master. That much is obvious. So, if I had to guess, I'd say that you only stay at Witch Hill because you want to be with your master, which is totally understandable. But ask yourself, if you and your master are given the opportunity to start anew—in a place where you don't have to think about revenge or humans or whatever—wouldn't that fresh start be something worth chasing? Yes, you'll be around monsters, and yes, witches have a shaky reputation with them, but Yukari's managed to earn the respect of her classmates. You'd be able to do the same. And your home will be safe—you'll be able to actually _live_ because you won't be forced to defend anything from locals."

"And while there is the occasional crazy student or, eh, teacher, it'd still be an upgrade from this," Moka added. "We're not gonna lie, Yōkai's got its fair share of problems, but it's a community for monsters, and like any community, there are good people, and bad."

Ruby, meanwhile, was staring at the ground and shaking her head. "But…her Ladyship would not want to leave. And…" Ruby's eyes clenched shut, and I could see her fists balling while faint traces of moisture escaped past her tightly-shut eyelids. "And I wish to see the humans punished for their crimes. I cannot just…forget what they have done! Both to me and my ancestors!"

I ran a hand through my hair. Ruby was undoubtedly bitter about what that drunk driver had done to her family, but how could I bring that up without cluing her in that I had overheard?

 _Hmm…ancestors…_

"You know, on the topic of ancestors and family," I began. "Do you have any?" I knew mentioning it would cause Ruby pain, but there was no way to avoid doing that. And if we could bring the subject up without cluing her in that we had overheard, we might be able to have a more civil conversation, as opposed to Ruby yelling at us for eavesdropping.

The others, minus Ruby and Yukari, gave me surprised looks, seeing as they knew that Ruby was hurt before, and they knew that _I_ knew about Ruby's painful past.

And speaking of painful, the look on Ruby's face was just that. She turned away with a soft 'tsk'. "No," she mumbled bitterly.

I gulped quietly, genuinely hoping that Ruby did not realize that I had overheard her conversation. "I am…I'm sorry to hear that. If you don't mind me asking…did humans have something to do with it?"

Ruby gritted her teeth. "Yes," she spat.

"And…is that why you hate them so much?" I continued. Moka, who had been giving Ruby a worried look, now turned her concerned gaze to me. Before she could open her mouth, I held up a hand and shook my head.

The pink-haired vampire frowned before gulping and silently nodding. Ruby, on the other hand, wasn't so calm. Her eyes were reddening again as she spoke. "Yes…yes, I first began to hate them after they—after they hurt my family. After that day, I despised everything about their rotten, corrupted species. That day was the day when I first learned how selfish, inconsiderate, and heartless humans could be."

"This is as much about revenge as it is about protecting Witch Hill, isn't it?" I asked. The question was rhetorical, and I didn't actually expect Ruby to give an answer. I propped my chin up on my palm and frowned.

 _I know how you feel…_

Yukari, meanwhile, reached up and placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder, gently patting the older girl in an attempt to comfort her. To what extent it worked, I wasn't sure, but Ruby at least stopped shaking in anger.

I briefly considered telling Ruby that I had been where she was; a wounded, angry individual in search of revenge. And, if I was going to be honest with myself, I had been in that position more than once. But, I quickly realized that what Ruby needed to hear was how poor of a choice she was making in killing people like this.

Besides, she wasn't the only one who didn't like telling others about a painful past.

But before I could say anything, Mizore was beating me to it. "Blaming an entire race for the actions of just a few…it's wrong."

"It's not just a few," Ruby whispered. "Throughout history, they've caused us so much pain, so much _suffering._ Why? Why do they have the right to do that, why don't _I_ have the right to fight back?"

"Ruby, if a human came up to you and tried to attack you, none of us would blame you for trying to fight back," said Moka. "But these are the descendants of the humans who hunted your kind; most of them have had nothing to do with you. They can be rude, they can be heartless, they can be a lot of terrible things, but murdering people? Ruby, if you keep this up, you'll be following in their footsteps."

"But I don't—"

It was at that point that I interrupted. "Ruby," I began, cutting the girl off. "Listen, you're angry. We get that. You want revenge, we get that. And I'll admit, you have the right to be angry about a lot of things, but listen to me when I say that anger makes us…it can make us do terrible things. Blind rage can turn us into something we're not, and at the end of all this killing, assuming you haven't gone insane, you will _not_ be happy with the choices you made during this time."

And I was more than just 'familiar' with the feeling of regret, and more than a little acquainted with regret for actions done during a fit of rage. But then again, to date, only one person had managed to get me _that_ angry.

And he had to throw someone I loved off a bridge to do it.

Ruby raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Are you speaking from experience?"

I shut my eyes and let out a quiet sigh, intentionally ignoring the question. "The kind of anger you're feeling is clouding your mind," I continued. "And when you grow older and more mature, you will either look back on all this with crushing regret, or, by then, you will have become an unfeeling, heartless killer. Tell me, does either sound like something you want?"

Ruby hesitated, frowning at the ground. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Moka and Mizore in particular giving me an odd look, but they seemed to set it aside for the moment. Yukari, on the other hand, was busy adding on to my statement.

"He's right," said the little witch. "Ruby, you're in a dangerous position right now. You've been letting your anger and hate accumulate for too long, and it's making you do terrible, terrible things! And if you never change, you'll grow up to be some sort of…some sort of… _monster._ "

Everyone present was fully aware of what Yukari meant by monster. Not just another creature from Yōkai Academy, but a soulless, heartless, _merciless_ killer.

I had fought one too many of those kinds of monsters in my life.

"And I don't want to see you turn into that," Yukari whispered. "It doesn't have to be that way…"

The elder witch continued keeping her gaze on the ground, while her expression showed a number of different emotions. She seemed to be contemplating something, but she looked almost…surprised…worried, maybe?

 _Huh, weird. What's this about?_

"Uh, Ruby?" asked Yukari after several seconds of silence. "You okay there?"

"I-It's just that…my master," the girl replied slowly before shaking her head. "My master always told me to hold onto my hate and anger for strength. She taught me to save all my hate so that I'd have the will to crush our enemies when the time came."

"And how well did that work out for her?" Kurumu asked with crossed arms. "Is _she_ happy here, what with all the hate she must have bottled up?"

Ruby paused as the question registered. For a moment, she had a confused expression donning her features while she wondered how to answer Kurumu. I watched the girl with a raised eyebrow.

The master, the symbiote pointed out.

My alien partner's thoughts quickly played out in my head, and I found myself voicing them to Ruby a moment later. "Actually, Kurumu has a point," I began. "What about your master, Ruby? Do you think she's happy here?"

"W-Well, she's, uh," Ruby stuttered before blinking repeatedly. "I-I'm not…I'm not sure. She doesn't actually talk about this with me…"

"Well, does she _look_ happy?" asked Kurumu.

Ruby opened her mouth and then abruptly closed it, averting her gaze. I blinked when I watched her expression fall. While she had long since lost that angry, unshakable look she had sported when we first met, this was the least sure I had ever seen her. Had we just waltzed into a sensitive subject or something?

"Ruby?" asked Moka. "What's wrong?"

"I—It's just…" the witch muttered.

Yukari gave her fellow witch a concerned look. "Take your time, Ruby. Breathe."

The girl in question took several deep breaths before she finally sighed. "To answer your question: no. No, my master does not look happy. She hasn't in a long time."

"What do you mean 'in a long time'?" asked Moka. "Was she different before?"

Ruby hesitated. "Well…yes, she was different before, but she's…changed."

"Changed how?" I asked curiously. Ruby had grown visibly uncomfortable by this point, either because of the subject of discussion or because the spotlight was on her—or maybe a mix of both. Whatever it was, the girl looked to Yukari for some sort of support, but when Yukari seemed to urge her on, Ruby could only sigh and swallow.

"Lady Oyakata has…she's gotten colder…more distant," Ruby admitted. "For a while now, I had been assuming that it was bitterness from watching more and more of her land destroyed by humans for resources or space or whatever."

Ruby ran her hand down the lower half of her face. "I want master to be happy, but…"

"But she's not," Yukari summarized. "And you don't know how to fix it other than to help her take revenge on humans."

"As you can see," Ruby murmured. "Humans are, yet again, the heart of the problem."

A few moments of silence passed before I piped in again.

"You know," I began. "From what it sounds like, Oyakata has grown angrier and angrier over the years. She's in the same boat as you: growing more and more unhappy because of all the hatred she's been bottling up. Like I said earlier, it's not healthy, and given enough time and solitude, her mental state might take a hit."

"Hold on," Ruby barked in alarm. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that unless something is done, your master is only going to grow unhappier and unhappier," I answered. "And because of all that anger she insists on holding onto—and because she lets her hate _burn_ —she'll also grow unstable as time goes one. She seemed, well, _sane_ enough to reason with, last I checked, but later on down the line, that might be a different story entirely. This place is affecting both you and your master, Ruby, and it's leading you both down a pretty messed up path. What do you two even have planned? What's the goal?"

"Justice," Ruby answered.

"I think he wanted you to be more specific," Moka pointed out with a sheepish smile. "As in, what are you guys going to do to get this justice?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed as a grim expression cross her features. "In order to punish the humans," she began in a low tone. "My master is going to turn the city into a sea of flames."

…

Wait, what?!

"Hold up," I said frantically. "You mean she plans on destroying the local city? Completely?" The witch nodded. The incredulous look I was giving her might have been so intense that it made her uncomfortable. As the shock subsided, I found myself pinching the bridge of my nose and letting out a long, exasperated sigh.

 _Wonderful, this is just wonderful. Because I don't have enough of these kinds of maniacs in my life._

I guess it had been too long since the last time I had fought some city-destroying psycho, and the universe collectively decided that Spider-Man needed new problems in his life. Because that was how reality apparently worked when I was involved.

It shouldn't have surprised me, but Mizore, being the level-headed person that she was, was the quickest of the girls to respond. "You'll attract a lot of attention," she said softly.

"She's right!" Moka began urgently when she was over her own surprise. "Ruby, the humans will be all over this if an entire city is destroyed! Even if you blame a natural fire, the chance of getting exposed is outrageously high! What if someone sees you? What if the humans get a message out or something?"

"They'll think you're a pair of out-of-control psychos!" Yukari cried. "And with powers!"

Metahumans, the symbiote seemed to whisper. They'll think they're metahumans…

 _You're right, this'll go south real fast if people suspect that crazy metahumans are hiding out here._

"Ruby, if _anyone_ sees you and manages to call someone or anything like that, it'll be a _very_ short matter of time before half the world thinks that metahumans incinerated an entire city," I said.

"Metahumans…" the girl muttered, frowning as she shook her head. "You're talking about those human freaks who somehow managed to get powers, right?"

"The same human freaks that will be sent after you if you go through with this," I stated firmly. "If people think there's some crazy, city-busting super human up here, you know who they'll send? More super humans, along with people trained to take down metahumans and any threats of that level. You won't be fighting civilians and police; you'll be facing military-trained teams who spend years learning the most efficient ways to beat people like _you._ "

"And how do you know this?" Ruby asked suspiciously.

"It's all over the news," said Yukari. "This stuff happens all the time in the human world—wild metahumans getting taken down by these people, I mean. We've had a few teachers at Yōkai tell us about these things. All you have to do is watch T.V. or read the newspaper, though I figured you don't really have those here."

 _Yeah, I imagine getting Internet connection out here must be murder._

"And what if they catch you?" Yukari continued. "What if they get you to talk? What if you end up revealing things about monsters all over the world?"

"I-I'm sure master has a plan," Ruby stuttered.

"Wait, you're saying you don't even know _if_ she has a plan?" I asked before letting out a heavy sigh. "And what happens if your master _doesn't_ have a plan for what to do if you get caught?"

Ruby flinched. "I have faith in her Ladyship. If she plans on destroying the local human city and punishing them for their crimes against witches, then I will go along with it."

"Even if you'll be killing thousands of people?" Moka whispered. "Even if you use your witch powers in public?"

"I can always claim to be one of those…metahumans," Ruby mumbled.

"Uh, yeah, that's not gonna give you a get-away-with-frying-a-whole-city card," I replied. "If you're caught, you're gonna spend a lot more time around humans, only you'll probably end up in a maximum security prison cell. Likely for the rest of your life."

"He's right," Kurumu added with a frown. "Things are going to get a _lot_ worse for you and your master if the two of you get captured."

"So to sum it up," I said with a slight shrug. "You go out there and get your revenge, and you'll have humans hunting you down for the rest of your life. You stay here and keep killing travelers, and someone will eventually get tired of it and hire someone to come after you. Either way, you and your master are gonna have to deal with the consequences of all this sooner or later. Come with us and the consequences will be fair, and you get a home out of it as well. Stay here, and, well…"

"Get killed," Mizore said bluntly.

"…or that," I finished.

Ruby looked between all of us before rubbing her temples "I…" she began slowly while shutting her eyes. "Give me some time to think about it."

"Take your time," I replied with a nod. "But, ah, just don't take _too_ long. Remember, the rest of us have a time limit. Sundown tonight."

Because after sundown, we would no longer be 'welcome' here. And if we still were here at that point, Lady Oyakata just might decide to pay us a visit.

And as glamorous as that sounded, I had a feeling that fighting an ancient witch might be just a wee bit more difficult than street thugs or students-gone-wild.

* * *

 _Later..._

When Ruby said she'd think about it, she really meant it. The girl had been pondering what to do for over an hour now, and had spent more than a little time discussing things with Yukari regarding what would happen _if_ she and her master came back with us.

I still didn't know if she was with us or not. Ruby seemed torn. The part of her that I was almost certain knew that she was unhappy here seemed to want to believe us, but the part of her that Oyakata had molded over the years was what was confusing her. At least, that was how I understood it.

Glancing up at the sun as it slowly inched across the sky, I knew that we still had some time before it set over the horizon. If Ruby decided that coming back to Yōkai and starting anew was worth it, then we'd have our primary means of dealing with Oyakata by having Ruby try to convince her. If, however, Ruby refused, what then? I didn't have a well-thought out plan for if things went wrong yet.

Fight.

I shut my eyes at the symbiote's suggestion. Of course, there was always that. If Ruby and her master refused to cooperate, I was—mentally—prepared to fight them. At the end of the day, they were still two people with blood on their hands and the will to continue killing. Or at least, Oyakata had the will. Ruby was being whittled down by us. But that didn't change the fact that they couldn't be left alone out there where they could kill without restraint. No, if they refused to come back on their own free will, and if they refused to stop killing, a likely last resort would be to fight and subdue them and have the bus driver and Miss Nekonome figure out what to do with them once they showed up to pick us up.

"Hey," said a voice behind me. Blinking, I turned around to find Mizore strolling towards me. I gave the snow woman a polite nod as she approached and sat down next to me, hugging her knees to her chest.

"You need something?" I asked when the purple-haired girl had gotten comfortable.

The handle of Mizore's lollipop shifted as she moved it around in her mouth. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Go for it."

The girl turned to me. "Back when you were talking about anger changing people…you had this…painful look on your face."

Oh boy. It looked like Moka wasn't the only one who was going to talk to me about my life prior to Yōkai Academy.

"I wanted to know if everything was okay?" asked Mizore. I sighed at the exchange that was going on. Moka already knew that I didn't really want to talk about my past in detail, and neither Kurumu nor Yukari really picked up on the more subtle signs I could make, but Mizore was a different story in both regards.

"Uh, yeah, I'm good," I replied awkwardly.

"You sure?" she asked with a frown. "You looked a little…broken when you mentioned that stuff."

No surprise there.

"Yeah, it was just a bit of a…personal problem from before I met you guys."

"You know, you can talk to me about it if you want," Mizore said softly. "You helped me with my personal problems. Maybe I can help you with yours."

"I'm not so sure," I mumbled. "My situation was different from yours. It's also in the past, so…"

Mizore crossed her arms over her knees. "I think I can guess what happened."

"You can?" I asked in mild surprise. The snow woman nodded.

"You sounded like you were speaking from experience," she said quietly. "Doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Someone did something they shouldn't, and you got angry. You acted upon that, and you regret whatever happened."

I flinched at the sadly accurate analysis. My reaction did not go unnoticed by Mizore. "For what it's worth," she added. "I don't think any less of you. We all get mad, we all make mistakes."

"I know, it's just…" I trailed off before sighing. "Power and anger are not a good mix."

 _Especially if I'm practically a different person when I'm angry…_

The snow woman pursed her lips. "Miss Nekonome once told me that she heard Kurumu mention a saying or something she heard from you. Something about great power…"

"With great power comes great responsibility," I said almost automatically.

"Yeah, that," said Mizore. "You think you violated your own credo, don't you? You used your powers for something you regret, and now you're trying to stop Ruby from doing the same."

When I didn't respond, she continued. "I know you're not a bad person, Peter. There's a difference between being that and doing something you regret because you were angry. Kotsubo, for example, was a bad person. You're not like him."

I let out a short bark of weak laughter, accompanied by an equally weak and tired smile. "I'd like to think so."

Mizore returned the gesture and leaned forward a little to make eye contact with me. "And like I said, if you wanted to talk, I'm willing to listen."

Funny, Moka had said almost the exact same thing.

"Thanks Mizore, I appreciate it, but don't worry, I'm fine."

And _that_ was almost the exact same thing I told Moka.

Mizore gave me an understanding nod and once again leaned back onto her hands. I was touched to hear that the people I met here were willing to try and help me work through my own problems, but mine were just so…different from theirs. Not to say that the girls' problems were minor things or anything, but…I regularly tangled with New York's criminal underworld. _My_ personal problems ranged from petty thugs to suicide bombers to a metahuman trying to obliterate a major city. How would I even begin to explain my problems to them? What was I supposed to say? That I temporarily went berserk because of the actions of a deranged, bomb-lobbing madman?

I shook my head and took a moment to shove the unwanted memories to the back of my head because, right now, there were more current and pressing problems to deal with.

 _Funny, this day started out so nice too…_

I didn't know how long we just sat there after that. Mizore, acting either out of respect or because she was naturally quiet and stoic, didn't start anymore serious conversations. I was happy with that fact because, frankly, I was getting tired of how grim everything had been lately. Make no mistake, I was happy to see that people like Ruby could potentially change for the better, but that required a lot of work on our part in order to help her.

New York had been so much simpler—web the bad guys to a lamppost and leave them to the boys in blue. Quick, easy, simple, and usually without the added baggage of talking said criminals out of their wicked ways.

But still, we had a chance to change the mindset of a killer, and I couldn't bring myself to ignore the chance or the killer in question.

After some time, I could see Kurumu standing up from the corner of my vision. Glancing over my shoulder in the direction the succubus was looking, I noticed that Ruby had stood up from her position next to Yukari on one of the logs surrounding the put-out fire that was used for cooking earlier that day.

 _Oh? Are we finally going to hear an answer?_

I slowly got up and turned around, Mizore's eyes following me before she too moved to stand. The quiet girl silently trailed behind me as we approached the two witches while Kurumu and Moka walked up from the other side.

"Well?" I asked hopefully as we came to a stop in front of Ruby.

Ruby waited for a second until Kurumu and Moka had gotten closer before speaking. "I have…been considering your offer," she began slowly. "And while there are a lot of points you brought up that I agree with and can see the logic in, there are also a lot of things that I dislike about the idea. What happens when we get there? What happens if we want to leave? There are a lot of unanswered questions."

Moka opened her mouth to say something, but Ruby silenced her with a wave of her hand. "However," the witch continued. "I can agree with you that the threat of discovery could pose great risks to us. I do not know much about current events in the human world, but I have read some of the reports of metahumans running rampant. Travelers occasionally drop magazines or phones or other things that I've taken a look at. If you're all to be believed, then the human species has become quite…adept at dealing with powerful individuals. That alone is enough reason to at least warn Lady Oyakata."

I quietly gulped in anticipation. Had we done it? Had we gotten through to Ruby?

"But even so," Ruby muttered. "Staying here might mean that it's only a matter of time before those people you spoke of are sent after us. So as much as I hate to admit it...you have a point."

 _Pleeeeeaaaseee tell me this means she's with us._

Ruby let out a shaky breath. "So…I suppose master and I should at least look into what you're offering."

"So…" Kurumu asked, trailing off.

"So I'll bring your proposal to master," Ruby said while shifting awkwardly. "…and I suppose I'll do my best to make her understand the same facts you made me understand."

A victorious grin broke out across my face, an expression that both Kurumu and Moka mirrored, while Yukari and Mizore offered more restrained smiles. Ruby backed up slightly in surprise when she saw our faces light up, though I could see a nervous smile beginning to form on her lips.

"Oh Ruby, I'm so happy!" Moka cried as she clasped her hands together. "And I'm sure you'll be a lot happier at Yōkai too!"

"Well, we'll see then, won't we," the girl replied with a little confidence returning to her features. "Though be warned, I still greatly respect master's judgment and authority. If she will not go with you, then neither will I. I trust her more than I trust you."

The celebratory atmosphere took a subtle nosedive at that, but nevertheless, we nodded.

 _But if that happens, then we'll just have to find another way to make this work._

"We should get going!" said Kurumu, placing her hands on her hips. "The sooner we get to Oyakatana the better."

"Cool," I said without missing a beat. "And after we're done with 'Oyakatana', maybe we can talk to Oyakata."

Kurumu blinked before grinning sheepishly. Ruby, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at the succubus' inability to pronounce her master's name. The witch took a deep breath. "Okay then," she began. "I suppose it's time to make do on my word then. I shall send a crow ahead to tell Lady Oyakata that I shall be returning shortly to speak with her."

"Are the rest of us coming too?" Mizore asked softly, momentarily taking the lollipop out of her mouth.

Ruby paused. "I'm not sure. On one hand, her Ladyship may not be all too happy to see the rest of you again. On the other hand, though, she may have immediate questions for you."

The symbiote silently informed me of its thoughts on the matter. From what we knew of Oyakata, she seemed like the type of person to go to the extremes, and I could recall Ruby getting enraged when she thought I had 'polluted Yukari's mind with my lies'. Something told both the symbiote and I that, if Oyakata decided that we had done something similar to Ruby, things would start going wrong fast. And if we weren't there, she'd have ample opportunity to set up a massive ambush, or rally the Walking Weed to fight us.

If we were there, on the other hand, and if Oyakata attacked, we'd be prepped and ready, while also helping to reduce the amount of time she'd have to plan.

"I think we should come along," I voiced.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow. "Her Ladyship will likely not show you any more respect or friendship than she did last time. You will not receive a warm reception."

That felt like a running trend with me.

"I mean, unless you guys are entirely against it…" I said while glancing at the others.

"I agree, we should go," said Moka. "Moral support and all."

 _The innocence is strong with this one._

"Sure, I'm down for it," Kurumu said with a shrug. Mizore only nodded, and Yukari gave Ruby a victorious grin.

The older witch took a deep breath. "Well then, I suppose it's time to meet with master once more."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Okay, late chapter, and it's not too spectacular. BUT, there is good news. Part of the reason this chapter is late is because I was working on the next one as well. So, Chapter 20 is already partially complete, and I think I've got it planned out. Bottom line: the next installment of "Bats and Spiders" might come earlier than my last couple of chapters. Knowing me, though, "earlier" might translate to "a fraction of a second faster than last time". Also, Chapter 20 should hopefully suck a little less than this one. All talk and no action? Ew, where's the fighting? Hopefully, awaiting debut in the next chapter._

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **Ruby's 'Conversion':** _Alright, as is my style, I tried to apply logic to make this work. Ruby, in this story, has been shown to subconsciously dislike Witch Hill (and I think this is the case in canon too), so once presented with a new opportunity, she'd already be more susceptible to change than someone like, say, Oyakata. Once presented with the possible future outcomes (death by humans, captured by humans, etc.), I figured that Ruby would spend some more time seriously considering her current circumstances and compare them with what they could be. At the end of the day, I still wasn't satisfied with a total switch from Ruby's old self to a new one influenced by our main cast, so I settled for a partial switch. She's definitely willing to consider it and bring it all up to her master, but she's not as…converted as her canon self. She's still loyal enough to her master to stay with her if commanded to, unlike in canon where she rebelled._

 **Ruby Talking about Oyakata's Unhappiness:** _Phew, that was a long entry title. Anyway, the idea here is that Ruby was pretty set on making sure her master was happy. In canon, she actually asked the gang to fight and stop her master when she saw her descending into madness from the merge spell. I don't think it's unreasonable for Ruby to voice her concerns regarding her master if she thinks it could help lead to a possible solution for her change into the cold-hearted woman she is today._

 **Oyakata Over the Years:** _The manga seemed to indicate that Ruby remembered a time when her master was a kind, loving woman. But while Ruby was remembering this, the present Oyakata was already the hateful monster her hatred had turned her into, so I decided I'd use that as a bit of backstory for her._

 **Sea of Flames:** _Yes, the plan to destroy the city was canon in the manga, for those that don't know._

 **No Uncle Ben Speech:** _I'm willing to bet a lot of people were expecting Peter to sit down and talk to Ruby about Ben Parker's demise. And it was partially because it was so easy to foresee that I wanted to avoid it. And, technically, Peter did hint at a painful past that Ruby picked up on. Plus, I wanted the story of Uncle Ben, if/when it comes up, to be told in full from the get-go (as in, Peter actually mentions that the man who killed his uncle was the same one he let go because he was being selfish). Plus, there's another reason, but that's to be mentioned later on in the story._

 **Peter's Past:** _I dropped some more hints regarding Peter's life prior to Yōkai Academy in this little universe I've cooked up, and some of you can probably tell what events he was referring to._


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE BELOW!**

 **Drunkle Qrow:** _Shocking, I know!_

 **Bobywhy:** _Hmm, that's actually a very good question. I suppose it depends; many monsters hate humans outright. Period. Others, however, seem to tolerate them, and if a monster gives a human powers, I'd assume that they'd stay in close(ish) contact. I guess the answer to your question would be this: it depends on the monster. Inner Moka, for example, I think would still dislike them, to an extent, because, as another reviewer mentioned, vampires hunted humans. Now there are humans who can go toe-to-toe with vampires and come out on top. I imagine that hurts her pride a lot._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _See, if I tell you, that'd spoil it. Gotta wait :)_

 **ZILLAFAN:** _You know, there's probably a story like that out there somewhere._

 **SonicAnime2010:** _I like how you instantly saw that it was lampshaded. Interesting analysis of the differences in the two witches' mindsets, and you'll learn very soon whether you were right or wrong in saying that words wouldn't win this battle._

 **Zboy2:** _Glad you liked it. Technically, yeah, Peter could make himself as monstrous as he wanted with the symbiote's shapeshifting powers, though he'd terrify people in the process._

 **KyuubiMakai009:** _Awesome! Well, in some storylines, Peter met Mary Jane pretty early on, but didn't become actual 'friends' with her for a while. I haven't decided whether or not they've been introduced just yet._

 **Darkromdemon:** _Happy to hear that! I thought last chapter was a little 'eh' because it lacked action and plot progression._

 **Iogron:** _Thanks! I agree, symbiote Spider-Man is awesome. I also agree that letting a random vampire suck your blood is weird, especially when the legends say that vampirism is transmitted through bites. Yes, Moka doesn't have much development because she's a static character; I did this on purpose._

 **trebeh:** _He can create artificial webbing, but he can't produce natural webbing like the Peter from the old Spider-Man movies._

 **StayBlessed:** _Hope it pleases!_

 **Server lock:** _Hmm, interesting tidbit of history. I'm not actually denying anything, as beliefs during that time were something people regularly died for, and so it's not hard to believe, I just meant that different people will have different views on it, and attacking one group and saying it was them would feel both rude and awkward. I, personally, don't really care who did it, because it's in the past and people and beliefs have changed. But, you seem to understand that history isn't this story's focus, so I'm glad we're on the same page, and happy you're still liking what I write :)_

 **thom. clark. 73:** _You and I have pretty similar views, then. I'd say you're right in claiming that the witches' respective ages would affect their thought process, and yeah, even without metahumans roaming around, they'd be in for a LOT of trouble if they basically declared war on the human species._

 **ShadowBlaze625:** _I feel like no matter how I answer that, I'm going to reveal something that I shouldn't just yet. So, you'll have to wait to find out :)_

 **Justaguest:** _Anytime! Glad you liked it! To be honest though, I think last chapter was one of my weaker ones—I dunno, I guess I got tired of writing persuasive dialogue for thousands of words at a time, you know? There probably is a meme, but there have been subtle hints about that event in the story, though I'll admit, they are fairly recent. Thanks, I just might need it (fight scenes can be difficult at times). No, I'm not, and as much as I'd love his powers, I'd hate to have his luck._

 **Thresher26:** _Oh hey, long time no see. Anyway, good eye; Peter has not taken the suit off at all throughout the story. That, however, is a plot point that I will be going over in the future, so I won't answer your question just yet for the sake of not spoiling anything._

 **RedRain17:** _Not sure yet, though I've actually thought about it a bit._

 **Slim A Lou:** _Glad you're liking it! I'm not sure if I'll add Carnage, but we'll see._

 **Umbra. Venator:** _Thanks!_

 **Sanguinis13:** _And I hope to post more soon._

 **Chocolate Chip Rainbow:** _Well, knowing his luck…Oh, and glad you like the story :)_

 **Animeguy1101:** _Thanks. Regarding Kurumu explaining how her kind view mating with humans, I meant that she explained it in this story. In the manga, it hasn't been explained why the succubi are going extinct (or at least, I haven't seen an explanation), so I tried to reason it out to add a little backstory. Her actual reasoning for succubi avoiding mating with humans was talked about in Chapter 7 of this story, during her apology scene. Again, as far as I know, this isn't canon; it's just something I added for substance. And sure, I'd love to hear your ideas about the math teacher. You can leave it in the reviews or PM me for a faster reply._

 **GJAM:** _All to be revealed in the story, my friend :)_

 **nada2342:** _Thanks!_

 **Croniklerx:** _Check your inbox. If there is no reply to this review, let me know._

 **Lovnag:** _Glad you're liking it!_

 **code R. R:** _Yeah, don't worry, Peter doesn't usually get worked up like that._

 **A/N:** _Okay, I want to clarify something and inform you all of some good news. So, last chapter, I said that this chapter was supposed to come out early. As you may have noticed, it did not come out early. What ended up happening is that the original version of Chapter 20 was 20k words long. Besides being too long for my taste (somebody's gotta edit all that, and guess who does it?), there were certain plot elements I was experimenting with, and the chapter was taking a little longer than I wanted it to. So, instead of making you all wait for the whole chapter, I cut it in half and released the first half now. So, that means that Chapter 21 is already done, I'm just editing it, and making a final decision regarding something that's taking time to think over. Basically, I wrote two chapters in the time it usually takes me to write one, and am releasing them one after the other. If all goes as planned (which I really hope it does), the next chapter should be out within the next few days._

 **IMPORTANT A/N ABOVE! READ IT PLEASE!**

* * *

 **-Chapter 20: Witch Wars-**

Waiting for Oyakata had quickly proved itself to be more than just 'waiting'. It ended up involving more than a little 'watching the angry plant monsters to make sure they don't kill us'.

The old hag had stepped up her game since last time. More Garigarious sitting in the field, some Hanabake thrown into the mix, and overall, an atmosphere that was about as warm and welcoming as the Punisher.

After Ruby's decision to try and talk to her master about the possibility of returning with us, we had gathered at the edge of the sunflower field when Ruby had sent her message, asking her master to meet with us once more.

Of course, Ruby's master seemed keen on taking her sweet time getting here, ignoring the fact that she could apparently travel as a mass of leaves, or teleport, or whatever magic she had pulled out of the hat last time.

 _Watch, she'll show up here at sunset and be like, "Oops, look at the time. Time to kill you!"_

"Um, she is coming, right?" Moka asked in confusion.

"Well, I _did_ send the message," said Ruby. "I doubt she'd just ignore it. I mean, master is not very fond of the rest of you, but she wouldn't just brush me aside. At least, I don't think she would…"

 _How reassuring._

But what _was_ taking her so long? I remembered seeing her doing some fast travel shenanigans last time, so what gives?

"You guys think she got lost?" Kurumu asked.

Ruby gave the succubus a blank stare. "In her _own home?_ Seriously?"

"Hey, you guys have a big field!" Kurumu shot back.

"Do _you_ get lost in _your_ own home?" Ruby asked.

"Well, there was this one time…"

"Really?" Yukari deadpanned before sighing and shaking her head. "Why am I not surprised? Kurumu, you are the only person who could possibly pull off something as dumb as that. Knowing you, it probably only had one room too."

"I was a kid," Kurumu said with a laugh. "And it was a new house."

"Wait, so it actually had one room?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile. At least I wasn't waiting here alone—having the others here really helped brighten the mood.

"No Peter, even _I'm_ not that dumb," Kurumu giggled.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Yukari mumbled good-naturedly, to which Kurumu responded by playfully sticking her tongue out.

 _And the tension between the two of them seems to be gone too. Or at least it looks like it's gone._

But seeing as their last batch of friendly arguments eventually escalated into an actual issue, I made a mental note to keep an eye on the way the two treated each other.

Time moved on, and the symbiote and I paid extra attention to the plants and our surroundings while waiting for Oyakata. Mizore also kept a close eye on things, while Ruby seemed to primarily look for her master. Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari would occasionally indulge in conversation to pass the time.

Eventually, though, it happened. Lady Oyakata appeared.

Just not how I expected it.

What I was waiting for was a swirl of leaves or something in the distance. What I got was, in fact, a swirl of leaves. The only difference was that it just so happen to occur directly in front of us.

In short: Lady Oyakata materialized within spitting distance and in an instant.

When the ancient witch's form seemed to pop into existence in front of us, several of the others jumped in surprise, with Moka and Yukari letting out quiet yelps of shock. Ruby only flinched while Kurumu did so to a greater extent, while Mizore and I managed to keep our cool—particularly so in the snow woman's case.

"Y-Your Ladyship," Ruby greeted with a respectful bow. I noted that, for the second time, Ruby was visibly nervous before her master.

"Ruby…" the old hag rasped as she raised her head. "Yet again you bring this group to me. I thought I made it clear that I would not be accepting any alternatives?"

Oyakata slowly glanced at me. "And that becoming my enemy would lead to death…"

"I brought them along in case you had any questions for them," Ruby stated with a gulp. "And because they wanted to come. But make no mistake, master, I am the one who wants to talk to you."

The wrinkled witch frowned deeply, turning in place to look at Ruby. "And what is it you wanted to talk about?" she asked lowly. Something told me Oyakata could already sense that she wasn't going to like what Ruby had to say.

"Well…I wanted to talk to you about…an alternative," Ruby mumbled. Instantly, Oyakata's eyes narrowed and her lips pulled back in an angry snarl.

"First the outsiders, and then my own student?!" she asked incredulously. "Ruby, have you paid attention to _nothing_ I've said or done these past few years? Has it all just gone over your heard? Is that it?"

"O-Of course not!" Ruby cried. "But they have brought up legitimate points, and I thought you ought to know what it is they're proposing."

The woman eyed her protégé with a skeptical look for a few seconds. Her expression was cold the whole time, and when her eyes narrowed in anger, it only became colder. "You mean to tell me that these outsiders have been planting ideas in your head? And now these seeds have sprouted into a plant so strong, you're even willing to try and convince _me_ that they're right and that I'm wrong?"

Ruby, despite her obvious fear and uncertainty, took a shaky breath to calm herself. "Your Ladyship," she began quietly. "I am here with these outsiders because they presented valid points that really made me think about what happens after we have our revenge. I'm worried."

"And what points might these be?" Oyakata growled.

Her student gulped nervously. "What happens afterward? We destroy the human city, then what? If we're seen, if _anyone_ manages to get word out, the humans might mistake us for those…metahumans."

Oyakata scoffed. "Metahumans; what abominations."

I flinched. Given her hatred of humanity, it didn't come as a surprise that Oyakata hated metahumans too. But hearing it said out loud…

"And if they think we're metahumans," Ruby continued. "They'll only send more of them to try and stop us. If we're captured, we'll be interrogated, and if we hold them off, we'll spend the rest of our lives being hunted by those freaks. Witch Hill will not be at peace, we will have invited a war!"

The eldest witch's expression retained its cold, distasteful glare. "Have you so little faith in your own master?"

"I have total faith in you!" Ruby exclaimed. "But I do not want to live my life under constant attack by humans with powers. If we cannot guarantee safety from the humans' attention, then we'll be at risk of being exposed. For the rest of our lives we will have to deal with metahumans sent to stop us. If that's the path we're going down, then maybe we should listen to what Yukari and her friends are offering?"

"And what is it that they offer?" the woman asked sternly.

"They suggest that…we return with them to Yōkai Academy…"

Several seconds of silence passed as Oyakata stared dumbly at Ruby. The expression on the old witch's face was one of complete shock and disbelief. " _Leave?_ " she asked. "They want us to _leave_ our home, and to return with them?"

Ruby sighed. "Yes, master."

"How?" Oyakata asked in bewilderment. "How did these strangers change you so fast Ruby? For years you were obedient, loyal, faithful—you never questioned me, and I always kept you safe. And now, after a few short hours, you rebel against me?"

She's not happy, the symbiote noted.

"Rebel?" Ruby asked. "No! Never! Master, I suggest this because I'm scared of the alternative. If we go through with this and expose ourselves, we might spend the rest of our lives fighting metahumans sent to kill us. I just…"

The girl hesitated.

"I don't want that kind of life, master," she whispered. "After getting to know Yukari, I want…friends. I want peers. You will always be dear to me, but not in the same way someone close to my age could be. And after hearing how Yukari is treated by _her_ friends, Yōkai Academy sounds like a place where I can at least have that chance, and without humans to worry about. And I want you to be a part of that, to be there with me."

"And you parents?" Oyakata asked, her frown returning. "Or the other witches who suffered at the hands of those wretched humans? How can you just forget them in favor of these outsiders and a confused young witch?"

Ruby flinched, biting her lower lip at the mention of her parents. "I have not forgotten," she said weakly. "I could never forget. But…all this hatred, it's changed us, master. You never smile anymore, not like you used to. Do you remember those days? You played in the field with me, and I told you I loved you every day. You were like a mother to me. But now, we never do any of that. We don't laugh, we don't just converse—everything revolves around the Garigarious and Hanabake growing strong, and our hatred of humanity."

I could see Ruby's eyes growing moist as she looked up at her master. "I miss the old us," she whispered. "Even after my parents were gone, I was still happy with you. But after the plan to destroy the humans, after the plotting started and after you had me help you cultivate the plant soldiers, it just…it started to fall apart. In the short time I spent with Yukari, I was allowed to experience something vaguely similar. I was able to just sit down and talk to a…a _friend_ , and it made me realize just how much I miss our old life."

She shook her head. "We've changed, master, and I want the old Lady Oyakata and Ruby back. I want to be the people we were before the hatred, before the anger, before the plants and plan to destroy the humans. And if we can't be those people here, then, maybe…then maybe it's time to move on and start over."

As Ruby's short speech came to a close, I found myself holding my breath in anticipation. This was it. Ruby had told her master what she thought, had presented our proposal, and given her reasons for wanting to accept. This was our best shot at convincing her to come with us, and if it failed, we'd need to think of something else.

The only problem was that I hadn't thought of anything else yet.

And if we failed here, I didn't think Oyakata would let Ruby talk to us anymore for fear of us influencing her.

 _Basically, this might be close to being our last chance._

Oyakata stared down at her student, slowly processing what she had heard. Ruby stood tall before her, swallowing quietly as the old woman seemed to contemplate her choice. I could see Yukari's fist clenching and unclenching as we waited in tense silence. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the old woman spoke.

"Ruby," she began slowly. "The humans will destroy what is left of our hill. We…"

Despite her words, it looked like it might have been working. Oyakata's expression was softening! It was—

Suddenly, the old witch's eyes narrowed dangerously. "We _cannot_ leave," she declared firmly.

I reeled back in surprise at the sudden change in demeanor. What just happened? It had looked as though Ruby had gotten through to her for a moment, and then, just like that, it was gone. Why? What had gone wrong?

"H-Huh?" Ruby asked in surprise. Clearly, she wasn't expecting Oyakata's sudden change. "A-Are you—"

"No more questions," Oyakata barked. "This discussion is over. I will not leave Witch Hill, and the humans will feel the weight of their own crimes crash down upon their shoulders in the form of the destruction of _their_ home."

"I-I…" Ruby trailed off quietly before turning to us. "Master has spoken," she whispered with a sad expression. "We will not leave."

Yukari looked back to her fellow witch with wide eyes. "But…but…"

"I'm sorry," Ruby added quietly. "For what it's worth though, I enjoyed our time together…"

We could only watch helplessly as Ruby stepped forward, turning around to face us as she stood by her master. The old woman smiled, and it only served to remind me of the various victorious, cocky smirks I had seen on the faces of previous enemies.

It wasn't a normal smile.

After the creepy grin disappeared from Oyakata's face, she turned a pair of angry eyes to us. "And you," she growled. "In two days, you have all trespassed on my home, attacked my plants, _kidnapped my student_ , planted your lies in her mind, and then attempted to turn her against me."

 _Well, when you put it that way…_

"In all my years," Oyakata continued. "Only humans have been capable of such defilement. And you are all clearly against me attacking those humans. You've all gone so far to keep me from attacking them. What are you, human sympathizers? I should destroy you all now!"

Moka and Yukari visibly flinched at Oyakata's outburst. The woman took a step forward, and I felt a sense of panic build up within me a moment later when she raised her hand. My instincts screamed at me to get in between her and the girls and to get them out of the way, but the second I began moving, Ruby shot forward from her position next to Oyakata, placing herself between her and the rest of us.

"Master," she began, her voice calm, but at the same time, it was evident that she was frightened. "Please, do not kill them."

Oyakata growled dangerously. "Ruby, _move_. After what these outsiders have done to my plants and tried to do to you, I cannot let them go unpunished."

"Please, master," Ruby whispered. "They have shown me kindness and extended me the hand of friendship. Killing them…it would not feel right. Please, I ask that you simply let them leave." The witch girl paused and turned to us. "Because they _will_ leave now."

I blinked. That sounded like a command.

"We will?" Kurumu asked in confusion.

"Yes," Ruby answered. "They tried to convince us to return with them, and they failed. They know that, and they will be leaving now. There is no need to murder them."

Ruby turned fully to face us while her master frowned behind her. The younger witch wore a sad expression on her face as she began mouthing something to us.

 _'Leave, before she attacks. Please.'_

My eyes widened when I realized that Ruby wasn't kicking us out, she was protecting us. She was trying to give us a chance to walk away before Oyakata snapped.

 _We can't convince her like this. Ruby's on board, but her master's seconds away from going ham on us._

The safe course of action was simple: we had to get out of here and think of something new.

"She's right guys," I said, drawing the others' attention. "We've done what we can here. Let's go before we overstay our welcome."

I received surprised looks from Moka and Kurumu, though it seemed as though Yukari and Mizore had picked up on what Ruby was trying to do. We'd have to explain to them a little later why we were leaving.

Nodding slightly in Ruby's direction, I turned on my heel and gestured for the girls to follow me in leaving. "Come on," I mumbled. "Let's go."

Yukari and Mizore, thankfully, assisted in ushering along a confused Moka and Kurumu.

I glanced over my shoulder at the two witches we were leaving behind. Ruby had this depressed look on her face, while Oyakata watched us with unconcealed anger before tapping Ruby and muttering something to her.

Whatever she said, I didn't hear. What I did know, however, was that our little plan failed. Ruby was more loyal to Oyakata than she was to us, and we'd need time to change that—or a miracle of sorts. But because we had neither, Ruby would understandably choose the woman who raised her over us.

Even if was evident that said woman was leading her into a dangerous, unstable life.

If we wanted Oyakata to stop, we'd need a different approach. Convincing her by having Ruby explain things from our point of view hadn't worked, and that was our Plan A. Did we even have a Plan B yet?

"Why are we leaving?" Kurumu whispered. "We need to keep trying, don't we?"

"Too dangerous," Mizore grunted. "Ruby bought us time to get away."

"What?"

"She made us leave because her master was on the verge of attacking," Yukari explained quickly. "If we stayed any longer, it would have turned into a fight pretty fast."

"But then what do we do about her master?" Moka asked while glancing over her shoulder. "If she doesn't come back with us, Ruby won't either. And even if Ruby was willing to leave without her master, Lady Oyakata might just keep on going as she has already."

"That's a good question," I mumbled. One that we just so happened to _not_ have an answer to. "I guess we'll just have to figure something else out…"

 _Easier said than done…_

* * *

 _Later that day – Newspaper Club's campsite_

"I just don't get it," I heard Yukari whimper as she packed her belongings. "Ruby did everything right. Brought up good points, pleaded with her master, showed her how much pain they were in, and yet Oyakata just…brushed it off. How could she do that?"

"She's insane," Kurumu mumbled, folding a pair of shorts and laying them in a bag. "That old weirdo clearly isn't all there."

"But would she really put her revenge ahead of Rub?" asked Moka. "Ruby said it herself; Oyakata was like a mom to her. She talked about how they used to laugh and play together. Did she really become so cold towards her own…student? Adopted child?"

"Hate's a powerful thing," Mizore said softly.

"Yes, yes it is," I added absentmindedly. Truth be told, I was only half-focusing on the things the girls were saying. The rest of my attention was directed towards what to do next. The sun was starting to set, and it wouldn't be long before our time ran out and we'd probably be forced off of the hill—or worse. But even so, we couldn't just give up and leave Ruby and Oyakata here, they'd kill more people—and eventually blow the local city to kingdom come. Not exactly something I could let slide.

 _If we could only get Oyakata to back down, Ruby would go right along with her. But how?_

"Hey, uh, Peter?"

I was jerked from my thoughts at the sound of Kurumu's voice. Turning to her, I saw the succubus pointing to a backpack sitting next to my foot. "You mind passing that to me?"

"I mind very much, actually," I replied without missing a beat, shortly before reaching down, grabbing the backpack, and tossing it to Kurumu.

Rolling her eyes, the blue-haired girl caught the bag and went to work opening it. "So," she continued. "Any idea what we're gonna do now?"

"…Nope," I answered. "And I'm serious this time. For now, I guess we're packing our things and making sure everything is ready in case we need to make a break for it."

"Are we actually going to leave Witch Hill when it's sundown?" Mizore asked, piping into the conversation.

I paused at that one. "That might be safer…"

Yukari gasped from somewhere behind me. "We're not just gonna ditch Ruby, are we?!"

"Oh no," I replied with a frown. "I'm just saying we might want to get out of here after sundown and think of what to do while we're outside of Witch Hill."

"Do you have any idea how to get through to Ruby's master?" Yukari asked weakly. "I've been racking my brain since they left, and some fresh ideas would be really encouraging right about now."

I gave the girl a dejected look. "Sorry," I mumbled. "Still working on something." Yukari, visibly saddened, only nodded and went back to work after that.

Our group descended into silence as we packed our belongings. I was stilling mulling over possible solutions. The symbiote offered its input on several occasions, but even with the two of us going over it, I still couldn't think of what else we could do to convince Oyakata to stop this.

We had, more than once, come to a conclusion that we thought would work, one example being to have Oyakata erase the memories the locals had of Witch Hill. But, at the same time, I was understandably nervous about letting an unstable human-hating witch mess with the minds of, what, thousands of people? What was the local city's population again?

I couldn't remember. I think I checked before coming to Yōkai Academy, but with all the insanity that had gone down between then and now, I had long since begun to forget that kind of stuff.

"Gonna be sundown soon," Mizore mumbled all of a sudden. "We should start getting off the hill. Safer for us, in case Oyakata decides she doesn't want to wait..."

I didn't even need to look at the sky to know she was right. The reddish orange light of the setting sun meant that we'd need to go soon. Very soon.

Yukari, meanwhile, looked off into the distance, in the direction we had last seen Ruby and her master head off into. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I quickly gave my portion of the campsite a once-over, making sure I had everything, before turning to the girls.

"Well," I began. "I'm just about ready. You guys wanna start heading off?"

"Good to go here," Kurumu answered. Mizore nodded wordlessly, and Yukari gave me a weak nod of her own. Moka offered the little witch a small smile before gently patting her shoulder.

"We're gonna figure this out," she reassured. "Don't you worry."

Yukari returned the smile, nodding in thanks for the encouragement. I gestured to the side, signaling for us to get going, and the girls began walking. Mizore was quick to catch up to me, mimicking my strides as we left the hill.

I took a second to double check the map we had gotten from the two women we had saved the other night. The local town wasn't _too_ far from here, but walking there would take some time. We could just camp right outside the hill's area, but there was something I wanted to check first.

This was the end of our second day here. If I wasn't mistaken, they should be here somewhere…

The best place to check would, of course, be the exact same place where we had arrived.

After a few minutes of walking, Mizore seemed to pick up on where we were going. "We're not leaving the hill just yet, are we?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Nope. Though you've probably guessed where we're going by this point." The purple-haired girl gave me a nod and simply continued on. As we walked, I heard snippets of the other girls' conversations, and they too had realized where we were going. A few more minutes of walking, and we reached it: the small clearing we had first arrived in.

And in that small clearing stood a familiar yellow bus.

And against that bus leaned a certain disturbing bus driver.

The man's head was bowed ever so slightly, the tip of his hat and the shadow it cast covering his features. He looked up as we approached, a smug grin spreading across his face as he removed a smoking cigar from his mouth.

"Well, well, well," he chuckled. "You're back. How'd things go?"

Nobody was really shocked to see him. This was the most logical place and time for him to be—it was the end of our scheduled trip to the human world, and we were right back where this man had left us. I had half expected him to not even be here, waiting for us, but it looked like he had been.

"We figured out why people were going missing here," said Kurumu, crossing her arms. "It's a pair of witches and their plant monsters."

"That so?" the bus driver asked. "Who woulda guessed?"

I put my hands on my hips. "Where's Miss Nekonome?"

"Eating fish in a hotel at the local human town," responded the man, brushing a bit of ash off his chest. "I figured I'd drop by and get a little update on what's going on. I take it these witches are still out there, then? They're obviously not here, and you lot don't look like you just won a victory."

Yukari flinched at the accurate analysis. "We ran into some problems…"

"I can imagine," chuckled the bus driver, shoving one hand in his pocket while the other held his cigar close to his lips. "A pair of witches that's been kidnapping people? I wouldn't have expected them to be all that friendly with strangers." The man finished his statement with a low chuckle, before his odd gaze drifted to the floor. "So…you tried and you failed…"

 _This guy would be a great motivational speaker. Or maybe a psychopath. Yeah, I totally envision that, what with the glowing eyes and creepy grin._

The bus driver took another puff form his cigar. "So what're you young ones gonna do now?" he asked, showing us his trademark grin.

I raised an eyebrow. He seemed awfully cheerful.

"Well, we were thinking it'd be smart to leave the hill," said Moka. "You know, regroup and think of something else that we can use to convince the witches that they don't have to kill anyone."

"Convince them?" asked the bus driver. "Sure, sure, that might work…provided you can think of something before the mastermind has a chance to destroy the city."

"Yeah," I began, pinching the bridge of my nose. "We know, we know, it's just that—" I froze midsentence, eyes widening. The symbiote had realized it the second I did, a sense of unease building within it instantly. Next to me, Mizore's eyes narrowed at the bus driver, while my own gaze slowly shifted back to him. "How did you know that?" I asked quietly.

The man's grin widened. "Know what?"

"The plan to destroy the city," I breathed. "We never told you that part…"

Yukari instantly snapped out of her depressed mood, looking at the bus driver in surprise while Moka let out a quiet gasp. All the attention was on the bus driver as he calmly stood there, arms crossed over his chest and the knowing grin still present on his face. "Hmm, so you didn't," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "But, you know, we're getting off topic here. This isn't about me, it's about the witches."

"You knew they were here," I said, almost to myself.

"What's important is that _you_ five know they're here," said the man, brushing everything off like it was nothing. "And now, _you_ know what they're ultimately up to. Problem is, you haven't found a way to stop them."

"Why did you send us here?" asked Mizore. "Why bring me? You obviously know more than you let on, so why send in a handful of students?"

The bus driver brought the cigar up to his lips, inhaling deeply, before exhaling a small cloud of smoke. "You know, that mastermind seems pretty paranoid about everything," he commented. "I bet she's not really all there. And I can only imagine that watching her protégé have her opinions swayed by strangers made her think she's losing control of her own followers."

He paused.

"Your little stunt with the witch girl may have made the mastermind a little…nervous…maybe even anxious to forward her plan."

"What are you saying?" asked Yukari.

"Well, I'm saying that, if I had to guess," he began with a shrug. "The mastermind behind Witch Hill will be bringing an army to destroy the local city. And that might be happening soon…a little too soon for the rest of you to figure out how to convince her to stop peacefully."

"And what, you're saying that it's our fault?" asked Kurumu.

"I'm saying you took a gamble and lost," replied the bus driver. "You bet on being able to convince the mastermind to stop, and you couldn't. It happens. You've just gotta be prepared to deal with the consequences."

 _How does he know all this…?_

"Let me tell you something," said the man, standing up straight and readjusting his hat. "Unless you kids do something, the local city is going to be wiped off the face of the Earth. My guess is that this'll happen tonight. You're out here, so the witches think you're gone. There's nothing standing between them and the city."

" _Tonight?!_ " I asked frantically. "You think they're going to attack _tonight_?"

The bus driver grinned. "Can you afford to take the risk of assuming otherwise? You've already lost one bet today."

His response left us in a stunned silence for several seconds. He was right. We _couldn't_ bet the lives of countless people on the chance that we had more time before Oyakata attacked. And seeing as he was so well-informed, what if he was right? What if the city really was nearing the end of its life? We'd need to act, and we'd need to do it now.

And Yukari was the first to realize it.

"Come on!" exclaimed the little witch, whirling around and dropping everything besides her wand as she raced back the way we came. "We've got to stop them!"

"Wha—?! Yukari!" shouted Moka, dropping her bag and running after her. "Wait up!" Kurumu was the next to move, sprinting behind the pink-haired girl.

"Come on you two!" the succubus shouted over her shoulder. "We can't leave those two to deal with Ruby and Oyakata alone!"

I twitched as my legs attempted to carry me after my friends, but paused and glanced back to the bus driver. "How do you know all this?" I whispered. "Just who are you?"

The man grinned, and instead of answering my question, replied with a response that sent shivers down my spine:

"Better hurry up, kid. You've got a city to save."

* * *

 _Minutes later…_

It felt like it had taken ages to get there, but we finally burst from the trees, entering the same area Ruby had taken us through when we met with her master. Some of the sunflowers were still slightly disturbed from when we had come through earlier.

But what caught my attention was something else.

Dozens of hulking plant monsters lugged through the field. Garigarious and Hanabake alike trudged through the sunflowers, all of them marching in the same direction—the direction that the map had told me the local city was in.

"He was right," I said in shock. "It's happening tonight. They're gonna try and sack the city tonight!"

This had to be some sort of scouting parry—wait, no, no that couldn't be right. Oyakata and Ruby had their crows for scouting. Was this some kind of diversion then? An early assault? I shook my head to clear it; whatever it was, it was bad, and we needed to stop it.

"What do we do?" Yukari whispered. "We can't let them go through with this!"

I frowned in thought, staring at the marching plants. With this kind of action and drive, it was beginning to look more and more like we'd end up doing what the symbiote had originally suggested.

The alien, meanwhile, mentally nodded in agreement.

"Guys," I began. "Let's try to talk them out of it. One last time."

"And if Oyakata refuses to call it off?" Kurumu asked after a moment of hesitation.

I sighed. Sadly, that'd be the likely outcome. "Even medium-sized cities can have populations in the tens of thousands. If Oyakata goes through with her plan, countless people are going to die. I'd prefer if she listened to reason, but if she doesn't…somebody's gonna have to stop her by force."

Moka inhaled sharply. "But then we'll have to fight Ruby. We'll lose all the trust she's put in us!"

I held my head low. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "But we can't let Oyakata attack the city. Too many lives will be lost. I can get Ruby out of the fight right away by knocking her out or something—that way, she at least won't be forced to fight."

I paused. "…You guys don't have to come with me. I know this will be hard, and I'm willing to go alone if I hav—"

"No," Mizore interrupted with a frown. "You'll die out there if you try to take them all on at once. I'm going with you."

"Yeah," Kurumu added as she stepped forward. "As heroic as that might seem, you're not going alone."

Moka gulped, and stepped up to us. "They're right. We can be more persuasive if we all stand together, and if this does come to a fight…then you're gonna need the other me to help out."

Yukari watched us with reddened eyes. She sniffed and took a slow step forward, then another, then another. Soon, she stood with the rest of us, looking up at our faces. "You're right," she whispered. "Somebody's gotta stop this, and you guys are going to need all the help you can get."

I swallowed quietly. Part of me was nervous about letting the girls come along. If this turned into a fight, which I felt it likely would, then there would be a lot more plants to deal with. They were easy to fight, but if Oyakata had enough of them…things might go bad.

But at the same time, I knew their resolve was strong. Even Yukari, who didn't want to fight Ruby, wouldn't just sit down and watch as the rest of us did the work.

There was also the added bonus of strength in numbers. Losing against Oyakata meant that an entire city would be incinerated, and if I went alone, the chance of that happening was slightly higher. But with the girls there, particularly a powerhouse like the inner Moka, the chances of winning were that much higher.

And speaking of the inner Moka…

"Hey, super vampire, you awake?" I asked.

There was a moment of silence—and a few confused looks from the girls—before Moka's rosary lit up.

" _ **You are not funny, I hope you understand that,"**_ said the voice of the inner Moka.

"So I'm told," I replied. "So, it's very possible that I'm going to be calling you out soon. What say you?"

There was a short bark of laughter from the rosary. _**"Since when do I say no to a fight?"**_

"Great, I'll bring you out the moment things escalate."

"Wait," said Kurumu. "Why not let her out now? Before we find Oyakata, I mean. We'd be more prepared."

"But if Oyakata senses Moka's aura going through the roof, she might think we're already on the attack," I said. "It'd be like bringing a tank to a negotiation. Plus, we lose the element of surprise."

" _ **I am perfectly able to conceal my aura."**_

"But can you do it before Oyakata senses you?" I asked. "She looks old, which probably implies experience, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's got some nasty spells and powers hidden away. We could catch her off guard if Moka shows up when the fight starts, but if we swagger up with a vampire in tow, Oyakata will have a little extra time to prepare something."

" _ **Hmm, if she is smart, then she might know a vampire's weakness…Yes, I suppose calling me out the moment you need me would be more effective. After all, you should all work to conceal your trump card from the enemy."**_

"It's too bad the enemy's already seen me," I said with a sly grin.

If I could see her face, I'd bet the inner Moka was raising an eyebrow.

"Alright," I continued before she could offer a rebuttal. "First things first, we've got to find Oyakata. Ruby might be with her, so be prepared for that. Oyakata was ticked off at us already, so don't be surprised if she goes crazy when she sees us. Let's try reasoning with her one more time, but if she refuses, we're gonna have to fight her. If she calls the attack off, keep your guard up anyway. Something tells me that she wouldn't mind tricking us into a false sense of security to open up an opportunity to hit us while we're not looking."

"And how do we find her in all that?" Kurumu asked, gesturing to the packs—or beds?—of walking plant monsters.

I frowned, taking a second to ponder the question. A thought almost instantly sprang into my mind, and I turned to face Moka. Or rather, her rosary. "Hey, Inner Moka, you sensed Ginei's aura a while back from inside that thing, right? Do you think you could find Oyakata for us?"

There was a moment of pause before the inner Moka answered. _**"My ability to sense auras from within the rosary is limited to those who are in very close proximity. If you want me to sense Oyakata, the outer me will need to be within arm's reach of her. Either that, or let me out so that I can sense over larger distances."**_

 _Well crap, there goes that plan._

"Rats," I murmured before glancing at the other girls. I already knew the answer from reading up on their respective species, but…"Do any of you know how to sense auras over long distances?"

I received a series of shaking heads in response. Yukari sighed. "Witches have a spell for that," she mumbled. "But I don't know how to cast it. It's a high-level spell."

Sighing, I turned around, facing the plant monsters as they moved, still unaware of our presence. "We might not find her in time if we aimlessly run around the field looking for her," I mumbled. "Those plants might be too far out by the time we find her, and they might barge into the city before we stop anyone."

The authorities might be able to hold them off for a bit, depending on how well equipped they were, but innocent lives would be lost if those things got into the city, and even one plant monster getting in would make people wonder where it came from. Witch Hill would soon be exposed at this rate.

"We need something faster…"

"I-I think I have an idea," said Yukari. "Instead of looking for Oyakata, we can call her here. I can't cast that aura spell, but I _can_ cast a spell I learned that's meant to signal other witches. It'll release our magic into the air for other witches to sense, kinda like an aura, but for my kind. Since we're technically supposed to be gone, Ruby and her master will likely figure out that it's me."

"And they'll come to us," Mizore added in realization.

"Do it," I said. Yukari nodded in confirmation and brought her wand up, quietly saying a few words. Soon, the tip of her wand began to glow weakly, and I could see faint traces of some sort of smoke rising into the air from the glowing tip. I had been expecting something flashier, but if it got the job done, it got the job done.

Finally, Yukari lowered her wand and took a breath, turning to us. "There. No doubt they sensed me. They should be here soon."

And as it turned out, a response did come, and it came soon. I had been expecting to see Oyakata materialize from thin air again, but barely a minute after Yukari's spell, I could see a figure flying through the air.

A figure with six wings.

"Ruby," I said, gesturing up to the girl in question. The others had taken notice, Yukari gulping in anticipation. When the older witch finally landed, she looked angry.

"What are you still _doing_ here?!" she hissed. "Her Ladyship is going to _kill_ you!"

"Yeah, and if we leave, she's gonna destroy an entire city full of people," I answered without hesitation.

Ruby clapped her hands to her face, groaning in frustration. "Why can't you people just _give up_ for crying out loud?! I made her Ladyship angry with me so that _you_ five could get away, and you came _back!_ She's not going to listen to you guys and you know it! There is no convincing her!"

"For what it's worth," Yukari mumbled. "We're grateful to you for doing that…"

"And we're sorry to barge in like this again," Moka added nervously. "But we just can't let you go through with this."

On our right, the symbiote warned.

" _Let_ us?" rasped an old voice. I turned to its source—right, just as the symbiote had said—to find Oyakata staring at us from atop a large rock, her gleaming eyes narrowing at us before she glanced at Ruby. "You said the outsiders were leaving."

Ruby gulped nervously. "I was under the impression they would…"

"And I was under the impression you would have had the sense to make sure they did," Oyakata said coldly. "Clearly, you didn't, seeing as these fools are still here."

The younger witch flinched at her master's scorn, taking a step back in what looked like fear.

Oyakata turned her icy gaze to us, the anger evident in her eyes. "And you. You're either the stupidest individuals on the planet, or you're here against your own will."

"Neither, actually," Mizore said quietly, at which Oyakata frowned.

"Then I cannot even begin to imagine why you're here, because _surely_ , after all this time, you've wised up and realized that I will _never_ return with you," said the old witch. "And because _surely_ , you must remember what I told you earlier: that I would not hesitate in killing you if you insist on standing in my way."

I had already known it, somewhere in the back of my head, but there was no reasoning with this woman. I was willing to bet an arm and a leg that this would very soon turn into a question of whether or not we could force Oyakata to stop before she destroyed the city. Still, I had to try one last time to convince her to stop.

"Lady Oyakata," I began slowly. "One last time: _please don't do this_. You are about to murder thousands upon thousands of people, some of which might be monsters. It doesn't have to be this way. We can help you think of an alternative, we can do _something_. We can _help_ you. Just please don't destroy the city. Too many innocent people will die!"

"Peh!" the old woman spat. "You brats never learn, do you? I. Said. _NO!_ The monsters in the city might survive—and honestly, _they've_ done terrible things to witches too—but every human will burn! Your attempts to stop my work are pointless!"

"Yeah, I thought she'd say that," Kurumu muttered, her claws slowly extending as she glanced at me. "Peter, those plants are still moving. They'll reach the city at this rate."

I gritted my teeth. The symbiote quickly confirmed Kurumu's claim before it slowly began to transform into the black suit. Oyakata raised an eyebrow as the symbiote enveloped me. As the dark tendrils stretched up my neck, stopping just short of my face, I looked Oyakata right in the eye.

Right into those angry, hate-filled eyes. There was no stopping her with words.

"You're not destroying that city," I said flatly. "We've tried talking to you, tried reasoning with you, but you just won't listen. You're not killing all those people, even if I have to stop you myself."

"Stop me?" Oyakata asked before bursting into a fit of cackling. "I'm sorry, but do actually mean to tell me that you want to _fight_ me? Ha! You're an even bigger fool than I took you for! Still…"

The old witch grinned. "If you're so eager to die, I'd be more than happy to oblige."

Next to me, Kurumu and Mizore fully unsheathed their claws, the former's wings also sprouting in the process. Yukari held up her wand, and Moka took a step closer to me, ready for me to pull of her rosary at any second.

Ruby glanced between her master and us, a worried expression on her face. She must have known that, very soon, she'd have to take a side in this fight.

"Kurumu," I began. "Take Mizore and Yukari and stop the plants that are still heading towards the city. Make sure they don't make it there."

Mizore frowned at me and Moka. "You want us to leave you two alone to fight Oyakata and Ruby?"

"Don't look so worried," I said with a smirk. "We've got a fighting chance."

"You don't," Oyakata stated. "I will crush you like the pests you are."

"We'll see about that," I retorted before turning to Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari. "Go. Somebody has to protect those people. Stop the plants before they reach the city."

Kurumu and Yukari, after a pause and a bit of hesitation, nodded slowly. Mizore, however, was still torn. She was still new to all this and our tendency to get into these situations, so I assumed she was still unused to splitting up to fight different enemies like this.

"Go, Mizore," I insisted. "Those plants can't reach the city, and the Inner Moka and I can't be in two places at once."

The snow woman studied me for a second before finally nodding. "Alright," she said softly. "But don't die. We still have to write those articles when we get back to Yōkai Academy."

"I assure you that I have no plans of dying tonight," I said with a weak smile. "I'll give you a holler if those plans change."

Mizore returned the gesture before she moved over to Kurumu, who jumped into the air, grabbing Yukari and Mizore in her arms. "Stay alive, you two!" the succubus shouted. "I'll freaking kill you if you die!"

I snickered as the blue-haired girl carried the others off to intercept the group of marching plants. I smiled as I watched them leave before turning back to Oyakata and Ruby.

"Idiots," Oyakata sneered. "As if I'd let them get away that easily. Ruby! Catch those girls, and put them out of their misery."

Ruby's eyes widened in horror. "You want me to kill them?" she asked quietly.

"You've done it before," Oyakata barked. "They have made themselves known as our enemies. They are no better than the human scum that did all this to us."

"But killing another witch?" Ruby asked weakly. "And her friends?"

"Just walk away, Ruby!" Moka called. "This is your master's doing, not yours! Take cover somewhere, and let us handle it! Nobody has to die here today, and you don't have to fight anyone!"

"Silence, brat!" Oyakata roared. "Ruby, _obey!_ "

The younger witch flinched at her master's tone before spreading her wings and taking off. "As you wish, master," I heard her say. My eyes narrowed as she began flying away, and I whirled around, firing a web line at the retreating girl. It attached to her foot, and I yanked, forcing her to a stop as she was jerked back. The symbiote instantly shot out several particularly adhesive web lines, each of which attached to and ensnared Ruby.

With a surprised yelp, the girl tumbled to the ground, landing with a pained grunt. This all happened in a split second, and as I spun around to face Oyakata again, the woman was pointedly glaring at me. Reaching out, I made eye contact with Moka, the symbiote finally crawling along my face to form my mask and complete the black suit.

"You ready?" I asked, directing the question at both Mokas. The outer vampire nodded in determination, and her rosary glowed in affirmation. Smirking, I grabbed the trinket and gave it a yank, pulling it off with a soft chink.

Pink-red light instantly filled my vision. I squinted as the brightness erupted in my field of view, and over the noise of the transformation, I could hear Oyakata shouting in surprise.

The seconds felt like hours, but finally, the brilliant glow faded, and in the place of the bubbly pink-haired vampire I had come to know, there now stood a new vampire. Blood-red eyes shot open, and the inner Moka looked up at Oyakata, a confident smirk playing across the pale vampire's features.

"We meet at last, witch," she stated.

"A vampire," Oyakata whispered. "Of all creatures, I never expected to see one here…" The woman regained her composure within seconds, and slowly raised her head higher, looking down at us. I noted that there was no fear in her eyes from seeing a vampire. "You know, I was under the impression that the boy was your group's top fighter."

Moka's smirk grew wider. "You could say he's a distant second-best. I occasionally come around to save his hide."

 _Heh, touché, Moka, touché._

Instead of retorting, however, I turned around to face Ruby, who was still struggling to untangle herself. "Give me thirty seconds," I said to Moka. "I'll be right back. Try not to kick too much butt without me."

"No promises," Moka replied, stepping up to face Oyakata.

"Vampire or not," the old witch growled, "I don't care. I will destroy you all the same. Prepare to die!"

Several things happened at once. Moka leapt towards Oyakata while I sprang forward to grab Ruby. Oyakata, meanwhile, roared something in a language that I didn't understand, and the symbiote informed me that dozens of vines had leapt from the woman's body to intercept Moka.

Focusing on my own work for the moment, I skidded to a stop next to Ruby, grabbing the girl and her wand before taking off into the trees. When we were sufficiently far enough from the battlefield, I jumped into a tree, slinging Ruby over a sturdy branch and wrapping the ends of the web lines around it.

"Sto—!"

Ruby cut her own shout off with her own yelp as I swung around her, wrapping a new web line around her entire body until she was little more than a large white cocoon with only her head showing. The witch stared at me in shock, her eyes wide.

"Stay here," I said firmly. "You won't have to fight anyone this way. You'll get your wand back later. Believe me, I'm doing you a favor."

I turned around, leaving the stunned girl to hang there, because I had a fight to get back to. And speaking of fights…

I glanced at Ruby over my shoulder. "And don't come back to fight us. I'll free you after we've subdued your master, but I won't let you harm the girls. If you insist on fighting us, we're going to have to fight back. Don't make us do this, we don't want to hurt you."

Before Ruby could say anything, a battle cry echoed through the area, originating from the area that I had left Moka in. Without hesitation, I shot off into that very direction, sprinting through the forest at full speed. Somewhere along the way, I planted Ruby's staff into the ground to prevent it from behind destroyed in the fight, before I burst from the trees a second later, just in time to see Moka landing gracefully on the ground while Oyakata's limp form sailed through the air.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Moka asked with a raised eyebrow as Oyakata slammed into the dirt. "Blood over peace, yes?"

"Geez," I mumbled, walking up next to Moka. "You two done already?"

Before Moka could respond, our attention was drawn to a soft cough coming from Oyakata. The woman was pulling herself up off the ground, shaking her head as she did so. Her hood was thrown back and there was a faint trace of blood on her lip, reinforcing the idea that she had been on the receiving end of one of Moka's kicks—and she was standing up no less. The woman wiped the red liquid away, her eyes drifting to the stained hand. Slowly, a massive grin broke out across her face and she chuckled.

"Such a powerful aura," she mused before looking back up at us, particularly at Moka. "I will enjoy taking it from you."

The vampire's eyes narrowed. "What are you blabbering about?"

Oyakata's grin widened. "You are about to see why I do not fear the human race or their super human rejects. I was saving all this for the city and for when we eventually run into resistance, but I supposed a vampire warrants something special."

"I feel like this is about to get hectic," I said before adding seriously, "Get ready."

Oyakata raised on arm into the air, holding it high above her head. Her free hand retrieved what looked like an old book from her robe, holding it out before her with the cover facing up.

"Her medium," I realized aloud. "She doesn't have a staff or a wand, she's got…"

"A book?" Moka asked with a raised eyebrow. "What a peculiar choice of weapon. Then again, this is a witch. "

Immediately, my mind kicked into motion, and I realized that getting that book away from Oyakata would strip her of the ability to cast magic. But before I could shoot a web line at it, the woman brought down her hand on the book with a dull thump.

But the moment that old, shriveled hand came into contact with the book…it was pure mayhem.

Green light erupted from the tome, blasting out past us like a shockwave. I could see Moka's eyes widen, and while I couldn't sense auras or anything like she could, from the force of the blast and the bright light, I could tell this was no ordinary technique.

Suddenly, the ground itself began to move. Eyes widening, I watched as countless plant monsters began rising from the dirt. Green hands forced through way out of the soil as Garigarious and Hanabake alike dug out from beneath us. It was like watching zombies clawing their way out of graves.

And just like zombies, there was a horde of them.

A big, _big_ horde.

"Whoa," I breathed. The sheer amount of these things was _staggering_. There had to be hundreds of them!

"She's not done yet," Moka said with narrowed eyes. "That light isn't fading…something else is going to happen."

As if on cue, the plants collectively…turned around. Instead of facing us, they all twisted around to look at Oyakata. But then it got even _stranger_ ; they all began running towards her. Like a tidal wave of green, the plants charged at the woman, throwing themselves at her. Within seconds, a house size pile of writhing plant monsters stood before us. A few more seconds later, and it was the size of a small store.

I took a step back as the shadow looming over us grew larger and larger. I almost failed to notice that the plants from before—the ones that we had sent Mizore, Kurumu, and Yukari to deal with—were coming back. Dozens of them were galloping across the field, jumping right into the pile of plants.

"I'VE LIVED FOR OVER A CENTURY!" roared Oyakata's voice from somewhere within the mass. The green light from before was still shining through whatever openings it could find within that ball of thrashing limbs and snapping jaws, but now, a beam shot up towards the sky from its center.

"LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I'VE LEARNED!"

"Back!" Moka barked. "She's about to transform!"

"Into _what?!_ " I shouted as the two of us retreated. The light was getting brighter, the ball of Hanabake and Garigarious growing more tightly packed.

"I don't know!" Moka replied. "But whatever it is, it won't be like the fights we've been in so far!"

Finally, with a destructive roar, the light exploded outwards a second time. This time, it rivaled Moka's transformations in sheer brightness, but the force behind it was far greater.

Moka and I threw our arms up in front of our faces to protect ourselves from the shockwave. The symbiote watched with morbid fascination as our foe performed her spell. Tense seconds crawled by like minutes as we were battered by the force of the blast, but finally, it began to die down, and soon, I lowered my arms, my eyes readjusting to the relative darkness of sunset.

What I saw took my breath away.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Again, I'm sorry for a chapter with less action than promised, BUT, the latter half of the original version contained the vast majority of the fighting. This means that Chapter 21 will take place in the heat of battle (at least, that's how it stands so far), so bear with me guys, the battle with Oyakata is coming, and hopefully within the next few days!_

 **Explanations/Clarifications**

 **The Bus Driver:** _This guy's a wildcard, and honestly, he's got his methods for finding out things he shouldn't know. Are those methods explained? Not that I know of. Do they exist in this story too? Yup._

 **Oyakata's Change in Demeanor:** _I kinda, sorta have an explanation for this next chapter._

 **Aura Sensing:** _I've read that vampires in the Rosario universe are skilled in sensing auras, and while some other characters have displayed the ability to sense auras, it seemed that vampires were far more attuned. I portrayed this as certain characters being able to only sense auras in close proximity, and to a small extent, while Inner Moka is far less limited. I'm not sure yet to what extent the outer Moka can sense auras, but since she's anything but the fighting half, I assume she's nowhere near as good as Inner Moka._


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own any of the series/cover art involved with this story._

 **Drunkle Qrow:** _Hey, I need to give you guys a reason to be excited for the following chapters, right? And yeah, Ruby was in a really crappy scenario._

 **StayBlessed:** _Awesome! Funny you should say that, because I really enjoyed writing his scenes. Though yeah, if he gave more info, they'd have been better prepared. Still, he is who he is._

 **Guest:** _Oh no, sharing ideas is just fine. I don't always use them, but I'm always happy to hear them._

 **Catter the Mad:** _Not sure who that is, but I'm gonna assume he/she is a giant plant monster._

 **Bob of the A:** _Yeah, the fight was pretty good in the original material, so I guess it's time to see if I can deliver :)_

 **darkromdemon:** _Glad to hear that!_

 **Server lock:** _What's bad? The chapter or the situation? True, physically hurting Spidey usually requires you to be able to hit him, and as fast as he is with that spider-sense, that can be next to impossible. As for Spider-Man being the strongest of the group, that's actually up for debate. Inner Moka could potentially give him a run for his money in pure strength, though when it comes to reflexes and overall survivability, he might have her beaten._

 **Great Saiyaman54:** _Possibly. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised._

 **Justaguest:** _Good to know :) Don't worry about constructive criticism; feedback is always appreciated, yeah, but simple reviews can be just as good._

 **force200:** _When's it not a perfect moment for Deadpool?_

 **thom. clark. 73:** _Both very interesting guesses, especially the second one, but not correct. Very good try though (the actual reason is not that complex)._

 **Animeguy1101:** _I replied to the PM, though I think you've already seen that. Perhaps one day, in the future, he will, if and when he's not actively hiding his superhero past and nature from them._

 **Kharn:** _True, Spider-Man can dish out some serious damage when he wants to._

 **ZILLAFAN:** _Hey, maybe one day, you or someone else will write something like that?_

 **A/N:** _Ayyy, Anti-Atom actually (kinda) kept his end of the deal and delivered a chapter around the same time he said it'd come! The world must be ending or something…_

* * *

 **-Chapter 21: Old and Cold-**

Dust and dirt had been kicked up everywhere, and as I looked up, I was treated to the sight of the silhouette of a massive figure standing within the dusty brown cloud. My eyes widened at the sheer _size_ of the thing. Slowly, the cloud receded, and the figure within became visible. We stood motionless for several seconds, watching and waiting to see just what Oyakata had turned herself into.

A muscular arm was soon visible. What looked like green tree sap dripped off of it by the gallon while vines the size of tree trunks swung from the limb. Long, flexible fingers stretched out from what I assumed to be the palm of the hand, and before long, a second arm was visible—oddly enough, on the same side of the figure as the first one.

More of the cloud cleared, and I felt myself swallowing in anticipation as the rest of the abomination was revealed. It had to be somewhere close to a hundred feet tall, with giant heads and mouths sprouting from various parts of its body. The various jaws sported teeth the size of guitars, and the head that sat upon the monster's shoulders looked like it was at least twice as large as the others.

But there was something else: another head, jutting out form the creature's chest, its mouth wide open.

And in that mouth, sat Lady Oyakata, her arms spread out and permanently fused with plant matter, irreversibly bound to the monstrosity she had created.

"A merge spell," I whispered. "She merged with the plants…with _all of them_."

If she knew this spell, did that mean that she had already performed a partial merge before this? When we met her, Oyakata already had vines growing along her arms and face—did that mean she had already used this magic to empower herself?

 _The books said this was forbidden. When and where did she get her hands on this spell?_

Perhaps that was why she was insane and bent on protecting this hill and punishing those who could harm it—she was literally connected to the flora here.

"I thought this magic was forbidden," said Moka, eyeing the creature before us. "Where did she learn this spell?"

"Better yet, what do we do about it?" I asked, still staring up at the behemoth. There was a moment of silence before Moka answered.

"What we usually do," she said with a frown. "We beat it."

"Planning must not be your strong suit," I mumbled.

Our short conversation was interrupted by Oyakata's cackle. The woman was looking down at us with a wide grin. "Impressive, isn't it?" she called down to us. "You may have the blood of the vampire race coursing through your veins, but that alone will not save you."

Oyakata's grin widened from there. "Come then! Let's get this over with! I have a city to destroy, and a guilty species to punish!"

With that, the beast—or, technically, Oyakata—cocked back a massive arm, before throwing a punch at us. Moka and I both dove out of the way as the fist slammed into the earth, obliterating the ground we had been standing on. Before Oyakata could withdraw the arm, I jumped onto it, crawling along the side that faced away from Oyakata and the other heads growing on the monster's body, and silently hoped she couldn't actually feel me.

I then noticed that Moka had leapt into the air, sailing above Oyakata and flipping through the air, aiming a kick at the woman's head—the head of her main, humanoid body.

"You can become as enormous and repulsive as you wish!" roared the vampire. "It changes nothing!"

Moka swung her leg out, her foot connecting with the side of Oyakata's face. The force of the kick was visibly devastating, as Oyakata bent over in her seat in the behemoth's mouth at an awkward angle, dangling limply for a second before she slowly straightened out.

Moka, meanwhile, landing on the arm I had been crawling along, her eyes wide as Oyakata's head turned to face her. The woman's head was hideously deformed now, but the grin was still present on her face. The side of her head was caved in from the kick, but it looked like Moka had just kicked a pile of clay; it just bent from the force, and then reassumed its old shape.

As the witch's head slowly inflated back to normal, she let out a chuckle. Realizing that her attention was solely on Moka, I dashed forward along her arm, trying to find something I could actually hit to damage Oyakata.

Wait. Every witch used a medium to channel their magic. Oyakata had used some sort of a book! If we could find it, we could…we could…

How were we supposed to find a book buried within a monster this massive?

"Aw, what happened to your confidence, vampire?" Oyakata mocked. "What, your brute strength alone isn't enough to save you? Unsurprising."

Moka's eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth at the witch. However, this resulted in said witch's look of triumph only growing. "It seems you became a little too cocky. I didn't just increase my size, I also added to my arsenal of abilities. Here, let me show you!"

Before either Moka or I realized what the woman meant, several vines shot from below Moka, wrapping around her arms and legs. In an instant, one vine plunged into her leg, while another tore into her arm. The silver-haired girl grunted, her eyes widening in shock.

 _Crap! She's trying to—_

"In this form, I can absorb any other creature along with its power," Oyakata taunted while I ran across her arm, rapidly closing in on Moka. Immediately, the witch took notice. "Oh no you don't!" she roared. "This vampire is mine to devour!"

More vines shot out at me, flying through the air at dizzying speeds. Some abruptly sprouted from the beast's arm, but with my spider-sense and reflexes, I could still dodge them.

"Stay back, Peter!" Moka shouted. "If she's got us both trapped, it'll be over in seconds!"

I was about to respond, but something caught my eye. A blur, racing through the sky towards us at rapid speeds. Realizing what it was, I turned to Oyakata while backpedaling from the vines.

"I hope you cleaned these things before sticking them into us!" I shouted, ensuring her attention was solely on me. "Dirty needles are a health hazard, don't you know?"

Oyakata blinked in confusion, only for her eyes to abruptly widen while her head began to turn away, but it was too late; something shot past her, slicing through the vines that held Moka. The surprised vampire plummeted to the ground, but reacted quickly, yanking the vines out and landing on her feet before putting distance between herself and Oyakata.

 _Wait, how did Oyakata see that attack coming? She reacted before she should have been able to detect it, so what happened?_

The question was saved for later when I realized that Oyakata's surprise was quickly fading. To avoid be skewered, I leapt off of the massive arm, shooting a web line at the rapidly decelerating blur that had cut the vines. My web line attached to her leg, and soon, I was being carried through the air by a certain blue-haired succubus.

"Geez, this thing is even uglier up close!" Kurumu shouted as she hovered away from Oyakata. "What the heck happened?! The plants we were fighting suddenly retreated, and then we saw the explosion! Then _this_ thing shows up in the distance! What gives?!"

"A merge spell!" I replied. "Oyakata brought out the big guns shortly after I let Moka out. Where are the others?"

"On their way," Kurumu answered. "I set them down when I saw Moka being held by the vines. Where's Ruby?"

"Safely out of the fight for now."

Kurumu nodded and we watched as Oyakata regained her bearings. As fast as I could, I began scanning her form for any sign of the book she used in place of a wand, only for my eyes to widen when I realized that the tome was stilling right in front of Oyakata, partially covered in plant matter. It had been on the surface the whole time!

 _So the only way to get that thing is to get right up in her face…_

I let go of the web line, causing Kurumu to look down in surprise as I plummeted to the ground, landing next to Moka, who openly glared at Oyakata. "I'm going to make that leech pay," she growled. "To think she tried becoming one with me. Disgusting."

"I can imagine. Also, did you, by any chance, notice the book right in front of Oyakata's main body?" I asked while gesturing to the woman.

Moka raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I got a good look at her while trapped."

"You know how witches channel all their power through their magical items?" I asked, to which Moka nodded. Before I could continue, though, her eyes widened in realization and a smirk crossed her face.

"Take that book from her, and she loses all her power," she said. "But what happens then? Does it break the merge spell?"

I bit my lip. "I have no idea. There wasn't too much information on it in the school library because it's a forbidden spell, and I didn't look very far into it."

"Hmm, I suppose it doesn't matter," Moka said offhandedly. "This fool needs to learn her place, and if we have to take her toy away from her, so be it."

"One problem: it's sorta right in front of her," I threw in. "And given that there's a dozen feet or so of steel-hard plant matter behind and around her, the fastest way to stop her would probably be a head on attack."

"Which means she'll see us coming," Moka summarized with a frown. "And the way the heads are arranged across that thing's body means that she'll have a good view of things on her left, and on her right. Provided she can see through all those extra eyes, that is."

I paused. "Hmm, that might explain why she saw Kurumu coming a second before she actually attacked. So let's assume she can see through those extra eyes. I can try blinding her with webbing, but it'll take a little while for me to cover every eye. And if she figures out what I'm doing—which she probably will—it'll only get harder."

"Too slow. We need to stun her," said Moka, just as Oyakata took a massive step forward. The vampire's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Here she comes."

"Tch! Pest," Oyakata sneered as she glanced at Kurumu. "Once the vampire is mine, I will be sure to drain you slowly." Then, without warning, the woman's head jerked back to us and the fingers on one of the beast's massive hands began rapidly extending. They shot through the air at Moka and me, covering the distance faster than any punch the woman could possibly throw.

With my spider-sense blaring, I dove out of the way while Moka jumped into the air. More vines shot out after the silver-haired girl, but this time, she was prepared. She dodged and weaved through the air, grabbing onto and swinging off the vines and kicking off of them.

Oyakata, meanwhile, lifted a massive foot, aiming it at me as she slammed it down on the ground. Again, I dodged the attack, noting the fact that, despite claiming to want to steal Moka's power, Oyakata was making sure to keep an eye on all of us at once. Long arms lashed out at Kurumu as she swooped through the air, her talons tearing through the vines attacking Moka like they were butter.

More vines erupted from the monster's body, most of them aimed at Moka. The fingers on one of Oyakata's free arms suddenly extended, whipping through the air. I dashed forward as they crashed into the earth, making a beeline for Oyakata's leg. I pumped my own legs, gaining speed almost instantly, and lowered my shoulder.

With a final heave, I launched myself forward at the leg of the monster. Unlike with my usual attacks, I actually put some strength into this one, and when I slammed into Oyakata's leg, it threw the entire monster off balance. The culmination of plants and witch gave a thunderous roar in pain as it shifted awkwardly to the side. More vines shot out, ripping into the ground and anchoring Oyakata in place to help avoid falling, all while I dashed out from under Oyakata.

In that moment, Moka went in for an attack. The vampire tore through whatever vines were in her way, jumping right up to Oyakata's main body and cocking a fist back as she prepared to deliver a finishing blow to the book that channeled Oyakata's power.

However, as she let the punch loose, Oyakata—her main body—bent forward at an impossible angle, shielding the book from harm as Moka's fist collided with the witch instead of her medium.

Moka jumped back just in time to avoid more vines that attempted to pierce her again. Oyakata herself slowly straightened out, the damage done by Moka healing almost instantly as the woman craned her neck. Moka landed next to me, her eyes narrowed.

"Blast," she mumbled. "I should have figured she'd defend that book with everything she had—especially if she can heal from a hit like that."

"She'll be keeping a closer eye on her legs now," I added. "That might have been the only free shot I'll be able to get in for a while."

"Hmmf," Oyakata grunted at us, shooting me a dirty look in particular. "For someone with no aura, you certainly have some strength." The woman's eyes narrowed. "However, I grow weary of our little game."

Suddenly, the massive, bestial head located just above the maw that housed Oyakata opened its jaws. A pale green light began shining within its throat.

 _Oh crap!_

"Scatter!" I shouted. With a burst of speed, both Moka and I both shot into separate directions. The monster made no move to turn its head, however, and simply fired the blast of energy straight down.

The explosion that followed shook the ground, sending rocks and chunks of dirt flying in all directions. I dove to the ground, shielding my face as the debris was flung over me. Oddly enough, the feeling of bits of rubble bouncing off of me died after a second, though the roar of the blast was still strong in my ears. Seconds passed, and the noise finally faded, and I lowered my arms, only to blink in surprise when I realized that a wall of ice, now cracked and weak, had formed between me and Oyakata.

I glanced over my shoulder to find a purple-haired girl kneeling behind me.

"Hey," Mizore said softly. "You looked like you could use a hand." Before I could respond, Yukari poked her head out from behind Mizore. Apparently, the witch girl had made it here too. Slowly, her eyes drifted up towards Oyakata's hulking form, and she recoiled in fear.

"It was horrible from a distance," she mumbled. "But this is so much worse."

As Mizore's ice wall fell away, I looked around for a second before finding Kurumu and Moka, hovering high in the air and safely out of the range of the initial blast. Said blast had left a sizable crater in the ground. Lifting myself to my feet, I turned to the girls.

"There's a book sitting right in front of her main body," I explained. "It's her version of a wand. If we can get rid of that thing, Oyakata will lose her ability to channel magic."

Mizore eyed the elder witch with a frown. Her gaze quickly settled on the book resting in front of Oyakata. "I can try shooting it," said the girl. "But if you guys have already seen the book and it's still up there, I'm assuming she has some way of defending it…"

"Vines that can grow from any part of her body," I said with a nod. "If she stabs you with one of those growths, you're done for. She can merge with other creatures by absorbing them through her vines. She also appears to be indestructible—if the fact that she took one of Moka's kicks to the face and laughed it off is anything to go by."

"A-Are you serious?" Yukari asked nervously. "Even Moka couldn't knock her out?"

"Like I said, that book is our key to winning," I continued. "And I'm pretty sure Oyakata knows it."

The head that had blasted out the green energy, which had, since said blast, had its mouth hanging open, finally clamped its jaws shut. There was an audible snap as the teeth came together, and slowly, Oyakata began looking around again, surveying and analyzing us.

"Resilient little pests," the woman sneered. "I can see your resolve to survive is as powerful as your resolve to stand in my way.

"She's about to attack," Mizore warned quietly, bending her knees as she aimed her arms at the book. "I'm gonna shoot. Any last minute tips?"

"Try not to miss."

"Noted."

Mizore closed one eye, tilting her arm just slightly. However, before she could shoot, a shrill scream echoed throughout the area.

"MASTER!"

I jerked around when I heard her voice. There, at the edge of the forest, stood Ruby. Her eyes, which had traces of tears gathered in them, were wide in horror, and her mouth was agape. The witch had retrieved her wand, which hung uselessly at her side.

 _Crap, why is she here? How did she break free? Oyakata will make her fight, she should know this by now!_

"Master," Ruby repeated, her cracking, nervous voice just loud enough for us to hear. "What have you done?"

Oyakata narrowed her eyes at Ruby. "What had to be done."

Tears began to flow freely from Ruby's eyes. "But why _that_ spell?" she whimpered.

"What's going on?" Mizore asked quietly, glancing at me. "What's with the spell?"

"This spell," Yukari whispered. "This…merge spell is…it's twisted. It fuses the witch to another creature, and almost always turns the resulting organism into a complete monster. The…victim is absorbed by the witch—both its mind and its body. This almost always severely unbalances the witch, and forces the victim to spend the remainder of its life as a part of the witch."

"In short," I added. "Oyakata has gone off the deep end, and Ruby knows it."

I had a moment where I felt an…odd feeling. Here I was, a guy bonded to an alien symbiote, watching a girl slowly breaking down because someone she loved had merged with her own plant monsters.

For some reason, it made me feel like some kind of hypocrite. In a way, I was similar to Oyakata.

Completely different, the symbiote seemed to say. Bonded, not fused. Connected, not merged.

 _Yeah, not right NOW we're not…_

"Because it's necessary," Oyakata said coldly. "You will understand as you grow older."

"Necessary?" Ruby croaked. "It's forbidden magic…"

"Magic that will enable us to bring the humans to their knees," Oyakata declared loudly. "Magic that I spent years learning. Magic that I will use to avenge our fallen ancestors and bring about justice."

 _Speaking of magic…_

"Yukari," I said hurriedly, while I had the chance. "If we took Oyakata's magical item away, she'd lose all her power, right? What would that do to her?"

Yukari blinked before realization dawned on her face, followed shortly by a worried look. "It won't be pretty," she admitted quietly. "The loss of power will mean that she wouldn't be able to hold her body together anymore. Her fusion is powered by magic, and if she no longer has the ability to power herself, then, well, the spell will collapse."

"Wait, are you saying she'll just, what, break apart?" I asked. "Like on a molecular level?"

"Um, no," Yukari replied. "Her current body will no longer be able to sustain itself, and will be torn apart. Oyakata and all the plants will be forcibly separated from each other, and the likelihood of them getting their original bodies back is low. Very low. More than likely, they'll return in deformed states, sometimes with missing limbs, sometimes with extra parts."

"But she'll survive?"

The young witch shuffled her feet. "The separation? I don't know for sure…A witch is said to be unable to undo a merge spell. Removing the magic that holds the spell together is obviously not safe in the slightest."

 _And if we don't undo the magic, we might not be able to stop her. An entire city will be incinerated._

"There's one more thing to consider," Yukari continued. "With all that magical energy collapsing, it's gonna end up exploding…"

I flinched. "And the likelihood of surviving that?"

Yukari's shoulders slumped. "Not a good chance."

I nodded grimly and glanced at Kurumu and Moka. The two had yet to make a move, but considering the fact that some of Oyakata's extra heads, and by extension, eyes, were pointed directly at them, that didn't surprise me. They were being watched, and I knew at least Moka would have figured that out.

"Ruby!" Oyakata suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. "I have never misled you in the past. I've raised you as my own. Continue following me, and all will be well. You will understand eventually."

Ruby's eyes widened, her lips quivering as she was torn between her love for her master—or, the old Lady Oyakata—and her own values and morality.

"A final assignment," said Oyakata, either not noticing or ignoring her student's obvious distress. "Do this for me and you can rest while I take care of the human city." The old woman's eyes narrowed. "Help me kill these outsiders."

Next to me, Yukari gasped, while Ruby's hand slowly covered her mouth. "W-What?" she squeaked. "You want me to k-k-kill them?"

Oyakata's eyes narrowed. "You've done this before. You can do it again. They may not be human, and the little one might be a witch, but she is not one of us. She goes against what we stand for. They were permitted to leave, and yet they didn't. They brought this upon themselves."

Ruby looked between Oyakata and our group—particularly, Yukari. A myriad of emotions crossed her face. Pain, sorrow, regret, confusion, fear; it was all there. Ruby choked out a weak cry, her breathing hitching repeatedly. She was beginning to openly sob, and yet, slowly, she began forcing herself to raise her wand at us.

"I'm sorry," the young witch croaked, her hand trembling uncontrollably as she leveled her weapon at us. A weak glow began emanating from the tip of her wand. "B-But master's wish must be d-done…"

I gritted my teeth. What were we supposed to say to her? What were we supposed to do? Heck, what was _she_ supposed to do? If Ruby disobeyed her master, she might forever alienate her, and I think she knew it. But in obeying her, she'd have to kill Yukari—the first friend she may have ever had.

"Do it, Ruby!" Oyakata demanded, her head slowly swiveling to face Moka and Kurumu. "I will deal with the vampire and the succubus. Oh, and leave the loudmouth boy alive! He's stronger than I thought—I can absorb him after this is over."

I spun around to look at Oyakata, who was turning to deal with Moka and Kurumu. The former's eyes narrowed dangerously at the woman. "Deal with Ruby, Peter!" Moka shouted. "I will handle this old fool!"

I narrowed my eyes at Oyakata. How could she stomach forcing her adopted child to choose between pleasing her mother figure and murdering her first friend? I looked back at Ruby, her arms still shaking while the glow in her wand brightened.

I pointed my wrist at her. A quick blast of webbing, just enough to stun her—that's all it would take.

But before I could shoot, something happened. Ruby abruptly fell to her knees, her wand clattering to the ground. I blinked as the girl bent over, placing her arms on the earth to steady herself.

"I can't…"

"Ruby!" Oyakata roared. "What are you doing?! KILL THEM!"

"I can't…"

"You _what?!_ "

"I CAN'T!" Ruby wailed, throwing her head back. "I can't kill them, I don't _want_ to! Master, I don't want to murder my first friend in cold blood, I don't want to strip her of the happiness she's found, and I don't want to kill people who have been trying to help! Master, _I don't want to be a killer anymore!"_

A stunned silence followed Ruby's outburst. The only sound was the young witch's sobbing. Oyakata stared in complete shock, her mouth hanging open. Mizore had her expression firmly suppressed and Yukari was openly crying along with Ruby. The youngest of the witches slowly made her way forward, kneeling beside Ruby as the girl wept.

 _Ruby just openly defied her master. Oyakata's just lost her protégé…_

Slowly, the ancient witch's expression changed. Confusion, sadness, before finally, it was warped into the most furious face I had seen on her yet.

"You did this," she hissed loudly, boiling fury raging in her cold eyes. "You outsiders…you came in and made her doubt herself...made her doubt _me._ "

And slowly, her gaze shifted to Yukari. " _Especially you_ ," the woman seethed.

 _Oh no…_

" _THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!_ " Oyakata shrieked, dozens of vines shooting from her body, straight at Yukari. " _DIE!_ "

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The vines, propelled by the unrestrained rage of an ancient witch, shot through the air. The moment I registered what was happening, I propelled myself forward as fast as I could. My legs kicked off the ground with the most powerful pump I could manage, and I was moving through the air towards Yukari and Ruby.

It all happened so fast, yet it felt like an eternity. The vines crept through the air as I moved forward, one hand reaching out as a web line shot from my wrist, aimed for Yukari.

 _Come on, come—!_

Something was happening. Ruby was reacting, her face was morphing into one of horror. Her eyes were widening and I could see her moving. She was leaning over to Yukari, her hands slowly reaching out. And it was with a gasp that I realized that Ruby was pushing Yukari out of the way, but in the process, putting herself right into the line of fire. At this rate, Yukari would be out of the way, but the vines would rip right through Ruby.

 _No, there's no way she'll make it in time!_

The vines were getting too close. My web line hadn't passed them yet, Ruby hadn't moved Yukari yet, and someone was _still going to get hit!_

The vines got closer.

Ruby's push was moving Yukari out of the way.

My web line was just beginning to pass the vines.

The vines were even closer.

Yukari was slowly tipping over, Ruby's form gradually leaning forward into the push and taking her place.

My web line was ahead of the vines.

And just like that, time seemed to return to normal.

Several things happened at once.

Yukari fell to the ground with a yelp, Ruby now in her place. My web line connected with Ruby's side and I _pulled_. My eyes could only widen in horror when one of the vines, as thick as my arm, shot past my web line, missing it by centimeters, and…

…Punched right through Ruby's midsection.

Carried by the momentum from my web line, Ruby tumbled to the ground, landing curled up on her side. Her eyes were wide and shocked, even as she coughed out a splash of blood. Slowly, her face contorted in fear and pain as her body began shivering.

" _Ruby!"_

I was by her side in an instant, sliding to my knees, but it was too late; the damage was done, the vine had shot clean through her. It was sheer luck that the attack hadn't ripped through her spine when the vine exited out through her back.

"She needs help!" I roared. "She's as good as dead unless someone here is a miracle worker! Yukari, do you know any spells to heal her?!"

"R-Ruby?" Yukari whispered, her eyes wide in disbelief. She was in shock.

"Yukari!" I shouted. "Can you or can you not heal her?!"

Or should I be asking if she could save her? Yukari was young; there was no way she could mend a wound like this entirely, right? At best, she could buy Ruby time.

"She-she…"

"Yukari!"

That snapped her out of it. Realization dawned on her face, and Yukari shot over to me. Mizore was on my other side a second later, kneeling over Ruby. A moment later, a flap of wings and a weak gust of wind signified that Kurumu and Moka had landed behind me. Yukari, meanwhile, worked frantically, her hands trembling as she cast her spells, desperately attempting to save Ruby's life.

The dying witch in question gave a weak cough, her eyes already unfocused. "M-Master," she whispered.

"Don't try to talk!" Yukari warned through her tears. "Save your energy!"

I, meanwhile, grabbed hold of the vine along its length and tore it. Now, it was no longer connected to Oyakata's body, but still, that still left Ruby with a chunk of vine and a fist-sized hole in her midsection.

"She-She tried to kill Yukari," Kurumu breathed while glancing at Oyakata before I heard her growl. "Why that _little—_ "

"Wait," Moka barked hastily. "Oyakata is a witch too. She's the enemy, but surely she'd try to save her own student?"

The realization clicked instantly and I whirled around to face the woman who had done this to Ruby. "Lady Oyakata!" I shouted, using her full title. "If you know any healing spells, Ruby really needs them right now!"

The ancient witch merely stared down at us blankly. "Why, Ruby?" she finally asked. "Why are you so bent on defying me? You were always such an obedient child."

I gritted my teeth. "Lady Oyakata, please! Ruby is _dying!_ "

"Peter," Yukari said frantically. "We need to get this vine out of her!"

I turned around again, facing Ruby once more. There was no way she'd be able to sit up with that thing in her gut—we'd need to think of something else.

"Don't bother," Ruby croaked, unfocused eyes gazing into the sky. "I-I'm done for…Just, please, s-save my master. Stop her from becoming a-a monster…"

"No, don't talk like that!" Yukari insisted. "We can save you! Come on guys, we need to get this vine out!"

"Tch! Oyakata!" Moka shouted, causing me to glance at her. The vampire was staring at the older woman. "Your student is dying," she declared firmly. "And yet her final request is for us to save you from what you're becoming. Are you going to just stand there and let her die?"

Oyakata watched us with that emotionless stare of hers. Gone was the anger, replaced by a cold, unfeeling mask. Whatever was going through the woman's head, she wasn't showing it. Slowly, however, her massive fist reached out, fingers uncurling as she reached for Ruby.

A large part of me did not trust Oyakata with Ruby's health at all. She had molded this girl into a killer, and was clearly not stable herself. However, the more rational part of me knew that we couldn't save Ruby. If anybody here could undo this damage, it was Oyakata, and if we wanted to see Ruby live, we had to let Oyakata work.

So it was with great hesitance that I stepped aside, quietly gesturing to the others to do the same. Carefully, Oyakata picked up Ruby, along with her wand, and gently carried her up towards herself. "Ruby…" the old woman rasped. The young witch only let out a weak cough in response.

Several moments of tense silence passed as Oyakata stared at her dying student. What was she doing? Ruby's life was slipping away here!

 _Does she even know any healing spells?_

Or was the reality of Oyakata's choices finally setting in? Either way, the woman had a dying Ruby in the palm of her hand, and whether or not Ruby survived this depended on Oyakata's reaction.

"Ruby," the old woman repeated, her expression still unreadable. "Why did you forsake me?"

I think Ruby whispered something. Something that was completely lost to me, because the words were too quiet and too weak for us to hear from on the ground. Oyakata bowed her head, unkempt bangs covering her eyes and shadowing her face.

"She can't save her, can she?" Mizore asked softly. "The way Oyakata keeps asking her why she betrayed her…I think it's like a final request—the last thing she wants to know before Ruby dies."

"B-But Ruby can't die!" Yukari cried. "Surely Lady Oyakata must know some healing spells! She's ancient!"

"She's also had revenge on her mind for years now," Moka said grimly. "Plant magic seems to be her specialty. Particularly, offensive plant magic. What part of that sounds like a healing spell to you?"

"So that means…" Kurumu trailed off.

Nobody finished the thought. We simply watched as Oyakata stood there, unmoving. Then, slowly, the woman's lips pulled back in a snarl, and she raised her arm, lifting Ruby higher into the air.

"I will save you," the woman hissed. "Both from death and the outsiders' influence."

I cold feeling began growing within me. "What's she talking about?" I asked in alarm.

"I'm not sure…" Moka mumbled.

Oyakata raised Ruby higher into the air, the massive head atop her monsters' shoulder opening its maw. What on Earth was she—

Oyakata threw Ruby into the beast's mouth.

My jaw dropped, eyes widening in absolute shock. Next to me, Yukari screamed in fear while I heard Kurumu give out a loud gasp. Even Moka reeled back.

The creature's mouth snapped shut with a low clap, closing around Ruby. Oyakata's entire body trembled in her seat.

She had eaten her.

Oyakata had literally eaten her own student. Just like that, it was over.

"There," Oyakata rasped venomously. Her eyes were shut and her teeth clenched as her main body shook from the rush of power from Ruby. "You will live on in me, safe from death and from the poisonous words of these outsiders."

"She absorbed her," Kurumu breathed. "She actually…"

Oyakata visibly gritted her teeth. "Damn you. Damn you all for making me do this, for turning my Ruby against me. This never would have happened if you had all just stayed away and left us to our business!"

I was finally snapped out of my stupor, partially by the symbiote urging me to focus and Oyakata's screaming.

My eyes narrowed dangerously at the woman who had just murdered her own student. I hadn't known Ruby for long, not nearly long enough to call her a close friend, but she had been on a new path, one that led away from her old, violent ways.

And now she'd never live to see what life was like outside of the hatred she had grown up knowing.

My train of thought was suddenly interrupted when Oyakata's eyes widened and she doubled over in her position in her monster's mouth. I blinked in confusion as the woman let out a raspy cough, following by a wheezing noise.

"What in the world?" Moka wondered aloud. "What's happening to her?"

The woman was no doubling over, groaning in pain. Finally, she threw her head back in agony. "Ruby!" she wailed. "What are you doing?!"

"What is she talking about?" I asked before abruptly gasping. Ruby! She had been swallowed along with her wand! That meant she still had access to her powers, right?! "Ruby's doing something in there!" I said aloud. "She's still alive!"

"Alive?" Yukari croaked through her tears. "She-She's alive?"

"RUBY!" Oyakata roared, clutching her head. "STOP!"

"What is she doing in there?" Kurumu asked.

"Giving us an opening," Moka breathed in realization. "She wanted us to save her master from becoming a monster…"

Moka and I immediately looked at each other. "The book!" we both shouted in unison.

We both took off, sprinting madly towards Oyakata. The woman managed to glance at us through squinted eyes, an expression of pain on her face. Vines shot out from her body, attempting to his us, but they were all clumsy, poorly-executed attacks. The occasional ice spike, courtesy of Mizore, shot past us as well, ripping through the vines as they tried to hit us.

"Don't destroy the book!" I yelled over Oyakata's howling. "We just need get it away from Oyakata, and then get out of the way! The merge spell will collapse in on itself the moment we get the book away!"

Moka only gave me a brisk nod in return as we ran. Both of us jumped at once, Moka running along the top of the creature's massive arm while I leapt up to its midsection and began crawling up. More vines shot at us, but with Oyakata's severely reduced concentration, the attacks were horribly inaccurate.

I soon vaulted into the same mouth that housed Oyakata. Between fits of writhing and groaning, the woman managed to make eye contact with me. Bloodshot orbs glared at me in hatred. I continued looking into her eyes as I reached down, grabbing the book situated right in front of Oyakata. A pale hand soon grabbed the same book, and I glanced over to find Moka standing next to me.

And just like that, we pulled. The book was torn from its seat within the plant flesh. Oyakata's eyes immediately bulged and her groans of pain turned into screams of agony.

" _Noooooooooooooooooo!_ " she shrieked.

"She's gonna blow!" I shouted to Moka. "Jump!"

We both leapt out of the mouth that housed Oyakata, Moka relinquishing her hold of the book while I kept my adhesive fingers on it. The behemoth behind us was beginning to glow, massive cracks of light appearing across its body.

I hit the ground running, waving frantically for the other girls to get back. Mizore was already ushering them back, pale blue mist swirled around her fingertips as she prepared to erect and ice wall while Yukari chanted something with her wand.

Moka and I caught up to them in no time, just before Mizore threw up a wall of ice. Yukari finished her spell, and waved it at the wall before getting down and grabbing her hat. "Get down guys!" she screamed.

We all complied. I threw the book beneath myself before I could hit the ground to protect it before pressing my hands against the earth, sticking to it while the symbiote shot small tendrils into the ground to help anchor me all the more.

Oyakata's screaming was growing louder, the light from the monster growing brighter, while the monster itself expanded.

"Brace for impact!" Moka roared.

Oyakata's creature gave a final roar in pain, accompanied by the ancient witch's deranged scream as their combined body reached its limit. A second before the explosion, I saw the creature seemingly collapse in on itself, and then…

And then all went white.

* * *

 _Later…_

I dragged my feet across the ground as we slowly trudged through the woods. We had long since passed the first rows of trees, some of which had been uprooted, but we could still see some effects of the explosion out here too.

Walking silently next to me was Mizore. Her eyes were downcast, and there was a tired look on her face. We were all tired, to be honest. The day's events had ranged from talking a confused girl out of walking in her master's footsteps to fighting said master.

And speaking of that master…

Oyakata was…

She was dead.

By now, we were sure of it. After the explosion, we had gotten up too look for her, but instantly, I had noticed something was wrong: the book was gone. Oyakata's book, her magical item, had been beneath my body. I had been shielding it, and yet, it was gone. Not ripped apart, not swept away, but just…gone. I had gotten up, and it wasn't there.

We had searched for both Oyakata and Ruby, but we had found neither. Yukari was still in tears, and the rest of us were quietly coping with the loss. The inner Moka had returned to the rosary, and the outer half had once again taken over. She had woken up minutes after the explosion, and after some time spent searching for the two witches, we finally decided to go back to find the bus driver.

What else could we do? No part of the monstrosity that Oyakata had turned herself into had survived. None of the Hanabake, none of the Garigarious—no part of that behemoth remained alive. The inner Moka, before she reentered the rosary, had attempted to find the witches by trying to sense their aura, and yet she couldn't find anything.

None of the plants remained, neither of the witches, nothing. The entire supernatural presence at Witch Hill was gone.

It was over. The threat was dealt with, and the locals would be safe from the genocidal witch they didn't know existed.

I only wished that it didn't have to come to this.

But that was how it had turned out. At the very least, Ruby had given her life up to save someone she cared for, and in her final moments, she enabled us to save countless people. An entire city had been saved because of what she did, and we wouldn't forget that.

The walk back was silent. Yukari's quiet crying was the only noise. The outer Moka, having fully recovered from having her inner half unleashed, was also shedding tears. Kurumu had this hollow look on her face, and Mizore, the ever stoic one, hid her emotions beneath a controlled exterior.

I had my hands shoved in my pockets, solemnly walking forward. The city was safe and a large part of me found immense comfort in the fact that all those innocent people would live to see another day. And while Ruby was not truly innocent, she had changed in the end. The fact that she had given up her life to save Yukari weighed heavily on my shoulders. I felt as though I had let someone die on my watch.

Bus ahead, the symbiote gently pointed out. The alien was, understandably, the least affected of us all. However, my partner had the sense to read the mood, and stayed silent for most of the walk to let me think and just…deal with it, I suppose.

But that was beside the point. We had reached the school bus.

And of course, the bus driver himself leaned against the edge of his vehicle, casually inhaling the fumes of his cigar. He glanced over at us as we approached, a small smile touching his lips.

"Welcome back," he said shortly.

The answer he received amounted to little more than eye contact from us. He didn't say anything for a moment as we approached the bus. We stopped in front of the shut door, the girls giving the man expectant looks.

However, instead of opening the door, he took another puff form his cigar before pulling it out of his mouth. "I take it things didn't go as planned?"

Kurumu's eyes narrowed. "You seemed to know a lot about 'things' the last time we talked. You probably already know what happened, don't you?"

"You saved a city from certain destruction."

"Sir?" I asked quietly. "Can you just let them on the bus? It's been a…a long evening."

The bus driver sighed and bowed his head slightly. "Bloodshed can't always be avoided."

"How do you even know these things?" I asked halfheartedly while shaking my head.

"You five did what you could," he continued. "Don't blame yourselves. You gave Oyakata every chance to step down peacefully. She was the one that pursued conflict."

"You even know her name," Mizore said quietly, her attention still focused on the bus door. "You seem to know a lot about this place and the people here. Why bother sending us to 'investigate' when you knew from the start?"

The man smiled. How could he smile at us after all this? If he really knew about all this from the start and actually told us what was going on, we might have been able to keep Ruby and Oyakata alive!

"You'll understand soon," said the bus driver, his grin widening.

"You think this is funny?" Kurumu growled. "Ruby's—"

"Geez, quit torturing them, will ya?"

I blinked, turning to look at the bus. "Gin?" I asked in confusion. The bus driver's grin only became larger as he snapped his fingers. The bus door slowly creaked open, revealing a smiling Ginei carrying—

"RUBY?!"

She was alive?!

I froze in shock, watching with eyes wide as saucers as Yukari rushed forward, followed by Moka and Kurumu. Mizore was looking over their shoulders in confusion while Ginei chuckled and lowered the girl. Yukari immediately threw her arms around Ruby, sobbing as she hugged her fellow witch. I looked on at what seemed like a literal miracle.

"Incredible, isn't it?" asked the bus driver. "The mastermind seems to have used the last of her immense power to save this child. We found her, barely conscious, after the explosion."

"How do you know the master did anything?" I asked, my gaze rapidly shifting between the driver and Ruby.

The man took a puff from his cigar. "Here's a question: why would our mastermind save her student, whom she herself had injured, when she could have used that power to try and save herself? It doesn't coincide with her personality at all."

I raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?" This guy seemed to know everything else, after all.

"That's not the question."

I looked down at the ground. I remembered theorizing something regarding Oyakata's transformation from the loving motherly woman Ruby remembered, to the genocidal maniac we had come to know. She had looked off when I first met her, and it seemed as though she had vines under her skin. She had a very…plant-like appearance. What if she really was already partially fused to some monster plants by the time we met her? That could potentially explain her appearance.

It might also explain why she had rejected Ruby's offer. Her mind was already influenced by the plants. Despite some inner part wanting a life with her student, Oyakata did what the plants wanted. In a way, I felt as though she resembled Doc Ock, with the vines acting like the metal tentacles influencing their host's personality and thought process.

It also made her somewhat like me. She had a symbiotic partner of sorts in those plants, and that partner was capable of affecting her mind. And in a time of grief, rage, and hatred, Oyakata had merged with her own symbiotic partner, and became something else entirely.

… _Like looking in a mirror…_

A disturbingly accurate mirror.

I shook my head to clear it of those thoughts.

But still, why change at the last second? Why save Ruby when you could have saved yourself, Oyakata?

Simple.

"The merge spell," I mumbled. "We undid it. Maybe, it completely separated Oyakata from the plants, like it was purging her. In the end, the Oyakata that remained might have been the one Ruby had always looked up to, before her corruption."

"Heh, quiet poetic," the bus driver said with a grin. "Her personality is changed back to normal at the last second, and in true motherly fashion, she gives up everything to save her protégé. She saved the closest thing she had to a child."

"That _does_ seem to explain it," I said thoughtfully before looking at the bus driver. "But you still haven't told me how you knew all this…"

I genuinely wanted to know. Where did this guy's information come from?

The man smiled. "All in good time, kid. In the meantime…" He gestured to the bus, where the girls were still crowding around Ginei and Ruby, rejoicing at the fact that the young witch had survived.

"Let's go home."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Okay, there we go. Finally, some action. Anyway, I'm falling asleep as I type this (can barely keep my eyes open), but I hope you enjoyed the early chapter and dose of fighting. Next chapter, sadly, will be scheduled as usual, so it'll probably be around a month before I update again. Until then, my dear readers! Stay awesome!_

 **Partial Merge:** _Regarding the little tidbit about Oyakata being partially merged to plants, I'm not sure if it's actually canon, but in the manga, she looked like she had plant veins running through her, and after she was defeated (and after the merge spell was broken), her personality turned around faster than the Flash could (and her appearance was softer, with less plants after the explosion). I figured, maybe, she was already partially merged to the plants, and after the fusion was destroyed, her old personality could shine through again._

 **Oyakata's Energy Blast:** _Just an extra attack I threw in for a little more suspense. Not canon, as far as I'm concerned._

 **Ruby 'Attacking' Oyakata:** _In the manga, Ruby was willing to attack the plant monsters to protect the gang. Events obviously went down differently here, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that Ruby would try to stun her master to give her friends the chance to stop her, and save her from spending her life as the thing she had become._

 **Peter's Reaction to Ruby's 'Death':** _Peter didn't know Ruby all that well yet, so while thinking she was dead truly saddened him, it didn't drive him into any sort of rage. Sorry to anyone who expected a 'Peter-goes'ham' scene, but I don't think he'd do that so soon in his relationship to Ruby (again, he barely knows her)._


End file.
